A National Perspective

Thomas D. Everett, P.E.

Federal Highway Administration

April 19, 2011

Roadmap
 Reauthorization
 National Bridge Inspection Program
 National Bridge Inventory
 Research
 Preservation
 Tunnels
Paradise
Reauthorization

 Nothing passed but continuing resolutions

 President’s 2012 budget proposal

FY 2012 Budget Proposal
 Lays groundwork for next legislation
 Concepts
 Fewer programs
 Performance based
 More $$
FY 2012 Budget Proposal: Highways
 $336 billion over six-years
 Programs consolidated from 55+ to 5
 Investments most critical to National interest
 Performance-based program in safety and
“state of good repair”
 Spurs innovations to shorten project delivery
and accelerate technology deployment
Crosswalk of consolidated highway programs
FY 2012 Budget Proposal: Bridges
 Specific bridge performance measures in HIPP
○ Decrease the percent of deck area on NHS bridges
rated structurally deficient.

 Risk-based asset management plans

 Set-aside for bridge inspection ($324 million/yr)

 Set-aside for bridges not on Federal-aid

highways ($700 million/yr)
National Bridge Inspection Program
 NBIS regulation has not changed since December
2004
○ Except for updated reference to the AASHTO
Manual for Bridge Evaluation in 2009

 New FHWA oversight process – Barry Brecto

 Updated training - Tom Ryan

National Bridge Inspection Program
Additional FHWA Staff

 4 Bridge Safety Engineers

 Load Rating Engineer
 Scour Engineer
 Bridge Preservation Engineer
National Bridge Inspection Program
“Critical Findings” Project
 Goal: Collect facts on state-of-the-practice
 HDR providing support to FHWA
 Do we need to improve our national program?

12 States to be visited
between late May and mid-
July
National Bridge
Inventory
What’s happening at the FHWA
Non-destructive Research Center?

Recent and Ongoing Research Projects

Research Projects – Steel Bridges

location of bridge steel girder

to diaphragm connection detail

(a) (b )

Steel Bridge Testing Program: Evaluated…

1 – Acoustic Emission 2 – Eddy Current 3 - Electrochemical

4 – Finite Element 5 – Magnetometer 6 – Phased Array UT
Research Projects – Steel Bridges
Gusset Plate Testing Program

 Develop inspection
procedures for single- and
multi-layer gusset plates
 Single-layer plates evaluated
with Pocket and Phased
Array UT
 Currently selecting available
technologies for multi-layer
inspection procedures
 Ongoing Project
Research Projects – Concrete Bridges
Prestressed Concrete Beams with Corrosion Induced
Damage

 Better understanding of
strand corrosion
 Evaluate:
 corrosion mitigation and
repair methods
 NDE technologies
 Develop decision making
protocol and maintenance
manual
Research Projects – Concrete Decks
Time-resolved Microwave Thermoreflectometry for
Corrosion Detection

 Identification of corrosion in
reinforced concrete
 Combines multiple convention
inspection techniques to
achieve better results if used
separately
 Time Resolved Thermography
with Induction Heating and 3D
microwave imaging
Research Projects – Community Outreach

NDE Web Manual BINS Update

 Comprehensive collection  Offered through NHI
of techniques and
methods  Project under
 Assist in selection and development to improve
application of NDE course
 Web platform
development underway
NCHRP Project 12-82
Developing Reliability Based Bridge Inspection
Practices

 PI: Dr. Glenn Washer/Co-PI: Dr. Robert Connor

 Optimize the utilization of resources for bridge

inspection

 Match inspection requirements to needs by

Identifying the most likely and most important
damage modes for the bridge

 Status
Pooled Fund Project
Underwater Inspection Using Acoustic Imaging
Technology

 Evaluate the use of acoustic imaging technology to

produce results equal or better than current
practice for Level I underwater inspection

 To be conducted at the FHWA Hydraulics Lab

 Two-year study

 Still accepting contributions

Bridge Preservation
 FHWA Bridge Preservation Expert Task
Group
 AASHTO Regional Partnerships
 AASHTO SCOBS, T-9 Committee
 TRB, AHD-00 Committee
Bridge Preservation: Objectives
1. Clear and consistent terminology
2. Acceptance of bridge preservation as a
component of asset management.
3. Bridge preservation related performance
measures
4. Training needs
5. Technical guidance
6. Research needs
National Tunnel Inspection
Standards
 Thank you!

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to

cross and which to burn”

David Russell
Scottish Classical Guitarist