In order to predict and optimize all issues occurring during lifetime of bridges, lifetime management requires sharing, exchanging, and integrating the data, information, and knowledge. Application of Information Technology (IT) is expected to satisfy these demands, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will enlarge its role in the field of lifetime management.

In an effort to apply Information Technology to planning, design, construction, maintenance and management of bridges, a mini-symposium on Information Technology for Lifetime Management of Bridges will be held in IABMAS'08. This mini-symposium will give an excellent opportunity to present research efforts and experiences of practices on the IT-based lifetime management of bridges.

Authors are kindly requested to submit 300-word abstracts to organizers of the mini-symposium by May 31, 2007. The final abstracts and full eight-page papers are due on November 30, 2007. Suggested tracks include but are not limited to the following areas:

1. Soft computing for lifetime management of bridges
2. IT-assisted monitoring and assessment
3. GIS (Geographic Information System), GPS (Global Positioning System) and LBS (Location-based Services) application
4. Information management for bridges
5. standards and standardization for IT in bridge engineering and management
6. Knowledge engineering on lifetime management
7. VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality)
8. n-D CAD for automation of design and construction management

Some specific topics to be discussed are :
1. Do we agree that the paradigms in Fig.1 form and integrated set, requiring not just technology innovation but also societal,     institutional and educational reform?
2. How close are we to successful application of the technology tools required to implement each of the paradigms in Fig.1?
   Can we identify meaningful demonstrations in real-life?
3. Various applications of innovative technology for health monitoring and management.

The Sessions that make up the Symposium include :
1. Challenges in Integrating Paradigms and Technologies-1 Session
2. Challenges in Integrating Inspection, Condition Assessment and Management-1 Session
3 - 5. Technology development and demonstrations for health monitoring and performance-based management-3 Sessions
6. Korean Experiences in Monitoring and Management Research and Applications
7. Japanese Experiences in Monitoring and Management Research and Applications

Assessment and monitoring concepts for bridges become more and more important in the intervention planning (e.g., maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, replacement) for new and existing bridges. Nevertheless, there is still a strong demand for the development and efficient use of novel techniques for monitoring and assessment of bridges. These techniques affect intervention and maintenance strategies and in consequence cost optimization concepts. Therefore, the objective of this Mini-symposium is to highlight the recent developments in science and practice and to formulate the next necessary steps.

This Mini-symposium provides the opportunity to disseminate and discuss novel techniques regarding assessment, monitoring and maintenance techniques of bridges.

Authors engaged with Novel Techniques regarding the Assessment and Monitoring of Bridges should submit 300-word abstracts to the chairs of the Mini-symposium by May 31, 2007.

Selected, high quality papers, presented in the mini-symposium will be considered for publication in a special issue of the International Journal "Structure and Infrastructure Engineering - Maintenance, Management, Life-Cycle Design & Performance".

There are numerous real-life BHM applications around the world. New advances in sensor and information technologies and the wide use of the Internet make BHM a promising technology for better management of bridges. Large-scale applications have been presented at a number of specialty conferences and workshops. In spite of the recent activity in this area and the successes achieved, this technology is not gaining acceptance by bridge owners and practicing engineers. We need to close the gap between theory and practice. There are many challenges remaining that must be overcome for successful BHM applications. As a result, there is still a lot of research to bee conducted and then demonstrated before routine applications of BHM can be expected to take place.

This mini-symposium if focusing particularly on the research needs for BHM systems and benchmark studies, and integration of BHM analysis methods for decision making. The authors are requested to submit their final extended abstracts and full eight-page papers by November 30, 2007. The mini-symposium covers the following topics and other related topics in the broad area of "Research and Application for Bridge health Monitoring."

- Long term monitoring applications of bridges
- Management and maintenance oriented monitoring applications
- Research in reliability based bridge health monitoring
- Research in local and global monitoring for bridges
- Benchmark studies for collective research
- Research in novel technologies such as GPS, computer vision, novel materials