▁transport ation ▁industry . ▁The ▁Bridge ▁Software ▁Institute ▁develop s ▁cutting - edge ▁bridge ▁software ▁used ▁extens ively ▁in ▁the ▁transport ation ▁industry . ▁ ▁The ▁software ▁is ▁engine ered ▁by ▁lever aging ▁the ▁institution al ▁research ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Struct ural / Ge ote chn ical ▁Research ▁Gr oups ▁in ▁the ▁Engineering ▁School ▁of ▁S ust ain able ▁In frastr ucture ▁& ▁Environment ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Florida . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁strength s ▁of ▁the ▁inst itute , ▁is ▁in ▁non linear ▁dynamic ▁finite ▁element ▁analysis ▁and ▁its ▁applications ▁to ▁solving ▁large - scale ▁extreme ▁event ▁problems . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁Bridge ▁Software ▁Institute ▁has ▁developed ▁a ▁robust ▁database ▁system ▁that ▁integr ates ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁ge ote chn ical ▁engineering ▁data ▁and ▁associated ▁metadata ▁which ▁enables ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁services ▁in ▁the ▁digital ▁environment . ▁The ▁Florida ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation ▁Database ▁System ▁is ▁now ▁being ▁used ▁in ▁large - scale ▁implementations , ▁with ▁more ▁applications ▁currently ▁under ▁development . ▁ ▁Bridge ▁Software ▁Institute ▁also ▁particip ates ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁and ▁promotion ▁of ▁the ▁Data ▁Inter change ▁for ▁Ge ote chn ical ▁and ▁Ge o Environment al ▁Special ists ▁( DI G GS ). ▁D IG GS ▁is ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁government ▁ag encies , ▁univers ities ▁and ▁industry ▁partners ▁whose ▁focus ▁is ▁on ▁the ▁creation ▁and ▁maintenance ▁of ▁an ▁international ▁data ▁transfer ▁standard ▁for ▁transport ation ▁related ▁data . ▁The ▁coal ition ▁came ▁into ▁existence ▁through ▁coord ination ▁with ▁the ▁U