New Manual For Bridge Inspection

New Manual For Bridge Inspection

The United States has more than 600,000 bridges. And with many of them closing in on their original 50-year design lives, safety is a top priority in the bridge industry. So in order to keep safety updated, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released the second edition of the manual for bridge inspection. The goal of the new version is to capture the condition of bridges using standardized national terminology and calculations. Read on to see how this new manual affects the bridge industry.

Advancing Bridge Inspection

In 2013, the president stated the need for monitoring and repair of structurally deficient bridges. However, in order for bridge owners to do this, they must be able to monitor the bridge condition, so they can apply preservation practices. In order to ensure the safety of bridges, inspection programs throughout the US and manuals are an important element that can lead to cost effective decision making.

The new reference guide replaces two current AASHTO publications. These publications are the first edition of the Manual for Bridge Element Inspection (MBEI) and its interim revisions. The MBEI is accessible to state departments of transportation and other agencies that perform bridge inspections. The new manual attempts to cover the majority of highway bridge elements in the US. Also, it includes changes that numerous inspecting agencies, consultant inspection firms, and training instructors had been suggesting.

Benefits for Bridge Owners

The manual updates not only provide new elements to consider during inspection, but also provide benefits for bridge owners. The second edition of the manual will provide better tools to bridge owners. Such tools are defect photos for the elements and spatial estimating guides. These will enable bridge owners to manage their bridges more effectively.

Decades of Experience

At U.S. Bridge we follow regulations that will ensure the safety and durability of steel bridges. With the advances that are in place, the bridge industry will only get safer. The good news is that U.S. Bridge steel bridges stand the test time. Our bridges are engineered and manufactured with longevity at its core. Contact us today or get a quote online and start your project today.