Developing a Methodology to Inspect and Assess Conditions of Short Span Structures on County Roads in Wyoming.

摘要

Ever since the introduction of the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) in 1971, there has been a tremendous amount of effort put into bridge rehabilitation programs and safety inspections. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) inspects these bridges in accordance with the NBIS on regular intervals, but there is currently no formal inspection procedure in place to assess the condition of short span structures, especially culverts. Culvert responsibility then falls subject to the agency that owns them. As a result, culverts can become neglected and fall into a state of disrepair and problems or deficiencies are not noticed until a much larger problem arises. In order to aid county governments in Wyoming to assess the conditions of their culverts and to better allocate limited funding, a comprehensive inspection methodology was developed. Since information on short span bridges is very limited, a preliminary inspection procedure as developed for inspecting short span bridges as well Counties throughout the state can utilize the developed inspection procedures to aid in efficiently allocating limited funds to their deficient structures. Also, by having a comprehensive knowledge of the conditions of these structures, county governments can justify pursuing additional funding.