This synthesis reports bridge inspection practices in the United States and selected foreign countries. The synthesis is a collection of information on formal inspection practices of departments of transportation (DOTs). These are primarily visual inspections and they provide data to bridge registries and databases. For U.S. inspection practices, this synthesis reports on inspection personnel, inspection types, and inspection quality control and quality assurance. Staff titles and functions in inspection programs are reported, together with qualifications and training of personnel, formation of inspection teams, and assignment of teams to bridges. Inspection types are described in terms of their scope, methods, and intervals. Quality control and quality assurance programs are reviewed in terms of the procedures employed, staff involved, quality measurements obtained, and the use of quality findings in DOT inspection programs. Foreign practices are presented in the same organization of inspection personnel, types, and quality programs. Comparisons of U.S. and foreign inspection practices are included. Information was obtained from a questionnaire sent to U.S. state transportation departments, similar questionnaires modified individually for transportation agencies in selected foreign countries, and formal documents used by transportation departments and agencies. These documents primarily included bridge inspection manuals, inspection training manuals, and technical memoranda, but also included blank forms for inspections, DOTs job descriptions for inspectors, and descriptions of inspection training courses. Overall, this synthesis includes information from forty U.S. state transportation departments and from roads agencies in eight foreign nations (Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). The synthesis also includes, in an appendix, information from a few provincial and municipal transport agencies in Canada.

Highway departments around the world are faced with the dilemma of providing improved operations on a "shoe string budget". Even after the much needed infrastructure funding is received, the question of which project comes first must be answered. Written by a 20-year veteran with the Kansas Department Of Transportation Bridge Office in design and in maintenance. Highway Bridge Maintenance Planning and Scheduling provides Senior Bridge Maintenance Engineers or "Senior Squad Leaders", practical advice for creating an effective maintenance program that will allow them to not only plan, schedule, direct and monitor highway bridge repair and rehabilitation project but also evaluate all completed work for technical acceptability, productivity and unit-cost standards. Provides the tools and methods for building and maintaining and effective maintenance planning and scheduling organization Provides experience-based suggestions for evaluating highway bridges and determining maintenance priorities Methods for evaluating all completed work for technical acceptability, productivity and unit-cost standards.

Discusses techniques that require physical measurement for inspection, and/or monitoring of structures.

An Insiders' Guide to Inspecting, Maintaining, and Operating BridgesSuspension bridges are graceful, aesthetic, and iconic structures. Due to their attractiveness and visibility, they are well-known symbols of major cities and countries in the world. They are also essential form of transportation infrastructure built across large bodies of water. D

The traveling public has no patience for prolonged, high cost construction projects. This puts highway construction contractors under intense pressure to minimize traffic disruptions and construction cost. Actively promoted by the Federal Highway Administration, there are hundreds of accelerated bridge construction (ABC) construction programs in the United States, Europe and Japan. Accelerated Bridge Construction: Best Practices and Techniques provides a wide range of construction techniques, processes and technologies designed to maximize bridge construction or reconstruction operations while minimizing project delays and community disruption. - Describes design methods for accelerated bridge substructure construction; reducing foundation construction time and methods by using pile bents - Explains applications to steel bridges, temporary bridges in place of detours using quick erection and demolition - Covers design-build systems' boon to ABC; development of software; use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) - Includes applications to glulam and sawn lumber bridges, precast concrete bridges, precast joints details; use of lightweight aggregate concrete, aluminum and high-performance steel

A guide to inspecting, maintaining, and rehabilitating various types of concrete and composite bridges. It also discusses emergency measures you can take to keep bridges operating safely until they can be rehabilitated. It provides civil and structural engineers with methods for conducting safety inspections, condition surveys, and more.