Bridge Inspection – Progression of Bridge Inspection Toward Preservation and Corrosion Mitigation for Improving Asset Management

The primary intent of bridge inspection is safety. Thus, the focus during the initial development of bridge inspection guidelines, including National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS), was on making sure structures are safe for the traveling public. NBIS are mandated by federal statute at 23 U.S.C. 144 and implemented under 23 CFR 650 subpart C. Most changes since the inception of NBIS have been due to failures, but recently the focus has shifted to include bridge/ asset management. As such, there has been an increased emphasis on using inspection data for bridge management purposes and on preservation to make sure these structures are not only safe but also can be maintained cost-effectively to minimize life cycle costs. This requires shifting the focus from predominantly visual inspection to supplementing visual inspections with advanced technologies. In this paper, the authors discuss the changes that have occurred since their 2009 Materials Evaluation article.