Section 3: Bridge Inspection

Routine Safety Inspections

A federally mandated routine bridge safety inspection typically occurs on each bridge every other year. These inspections are performed by specialty consultant engineering company staff and a report is generated assigning structural condition ratings to components of the bridge. Simply, if the rating is 7 or higher, component is considered in good condition, if 4 or lower, component is considered in poor condition, and if 5 or 6, component is considered in fair condition. Additionally, some limited commentary is provided discussing observed condition and on occasion, some specific areas of concern may be listed which may also show up on the follow-up-action (FUA) list as recommendations to take action to address the noted deficiency.
Inspectors recommend action be taken on bridge defects they deem a significant structural concern or action that may prevent other more serious issues from occurring in the future. FUA recommendations should be reviewed to determine the significance of the issue and addressed as appropriate. Seek assistance of bridge engineering staff when needed if unsure of significance of the issue.

Off-Year Bridge Maintenance Inspection

Off-year inspections are required to be performed by TxDOT staff. These inspections are in addition to and are not replaced by the contracted federal routine bridge safety inspection. The term “off-year” is used because these inspections are scheduled to generally occur in the alternating years that routine safety inspections do not occur.
FUAs may also be created from these inspections and prompt scheduling of necessary preventive maintenance and repairs should follow this review.
Attention should also be given to routine or preventive maintenance work such as:
  • cleaning the approach roadway and bridge deck surfaces of debris and contaminants
  • restoration, delineation and signing
  • cleaning and servicing joints and bearings
  • removal of drift from around substructures.
Prompt maintenance and repair should follow these inspections.
Notify the district bridge inspection coordinator of the type of work performed and when it was done.

Damage Inspections

Damage inspections should be performed immediately following any significant event such as permit overloads, floods or impact damage that could alter the condition of the structure. These inspections are not intended to be detailed but rather a quick assessment of damage and/or deterioration for the purpose of determining repair needs or to identify safety hazards. Particular attention should be given to:
  • structural damage
  • settlement or sagging of bridge or approach to bridge
  • damage to bridge railing or approach guard fence
  • quality of riding surface
  • performance and condition of the channel and bank protection measures
  • adequacy of deck drainage.
When initial inspections following a seismic event are necessary, the following items should be inspected:
  • alignment of joints, edges of slab, railing, and pavement markings for any indication of differential movement
  • beam ends to confirm that there is sufficient support and no differential movement between the beams and the substructure
  • bearings at abutments and interior bents for excessive movement or displacement
  • columns at interior bents for cracking.
If significant damage is found during one of these inspections, the area engineer and the district’s bridge inspection coordinator should be notified immediately. See TxDOT’s for more information on documentation requirements when damage is identified.

Program Coordination

The system of record for off-year bridge inspections is the Maintenance Bridge Inspection Tracking System (MBITS)
, which is now a module within AssetWise.
 The Maintenance Division will identify an MBITS Program Coordinator who is responsible for the following:
  • Working with the MBITS Training Coordinator to ensure individuals in need of training are included the next time a training course is available in the district of need or possibly an adjacent district.
  • Providing a brief summary after the end of the year to the Maintenance Division Director on the percentage of off-year bridge inspections that were completed by each district, the total and percentage of bridges in each district that are overdue for inspection,
    the number of FUAs created from off-year bridge inspections,
    the number of employees who took the MBITS class (MNT 127), and the list of individuals in each district responsible for reviewing the inspections for planning the various bridge program work.
  • Ensuring all on system bridges eligible for inspection are included on the MBITS dashboard and not excluded temporarily (due to construction, etc).
Each district will identify an MBITS District Coordinator who is responsible for the following:
  • Coordinating with district maintenance, district bridge, and each maintenance section to ensure all off-year bridge inspections are completed. It is critical that the list of bridges due for inspection is provided well in advance of the due date to the applicable maintenance supervisor. Inspections are to be completed within a 6-18 month time frame after a contracted inspection is completed for bridges on a 24 month cycle for contracted inspections
    .
  • Reviewing the first 10 off-year bridge inspections for newer inspectors and 5% of all other off-year bridge inspections to ensure they are filled out properly.
  • Sending an annual follow up to the MBITS Program Coordinator that all off-year bridge inspections have been completed, including identifying who has/will be reviewing the inspections for consideration in Bridge Maintenance Improvement Program (BMIP), Bridge Preventive Maintenance (BPM) program, in house repairs, etc. This individual will be copied on the email response.
  • On an annual basis, sending the list of individuals at the district who are in need of MNT 127 training to the MBITS Program Coordinator. This list is based on individuals who performed off-year bridge inspections in the previous year who have never had the training and from polling from maintenance supervisors. The MBITS District Coordinator can also provide an overview inspection course in lieu of MNT127 if a need is identified and there are not any upcoming MNT127 courses in the district.

Completing MBITS Forms

When completing an off-year bridge inspection and entering data into MBITS, the following guidelines are provided
for both inspections and any FUAs that result from the inspection:
  • Ensure all header information on the top of the form is accurate in MBITS
  • The inspector must stop at each bridge to do the inspection and answer each question on the form. An answer of 'Yes', 'No', or 'N/A' is needed on all questions. For answers of 'No', an explanation is required. Provide a brief description of the issue observed and location of the issue. For example, instead of stating 'deck spalling', state 'a 6"x6" spall about 2" deep was observed 100' from the west abutment near the sidewalk on the eastbound lane.'
  • It is very important that pictures are taken of any identified defects and uploaded into AssetWise with the inspection. Notes for the picture may indicate which question the picture corresponds to on the inspection form.
  • Most bridges have defects, though some are more major than others. Always describe any issues seen, unless considered insignificant, and do not simply check 'Yes' on all questions.
  • Inspectors cannot approve their own inspection reports in AssetWise.
  • Ensure that the inspection date is properly recorded in AssetWise for both the inspection and any created FUAs that are a result of the inspection. (The date of inspection or FUA is NOT the date it was created in AssetWise, but when the inspection occurred in the field.)
  • Any FUAs submitted must be reviewed with an engineer by the MBITS District Coordinator before approval.
  • Include the FUA ID number in the MBITS Inspection in AssetWise for any FUAs created as a result of the off-year bridge Inspection.
  • A dummy inspection may be created for any bridge due for inspection that is under construction. In this case, mark all questions as ‘N/A’ and add a note that an inspection wasn’t performed due to the construction.
  • Ensure that for all inspections, a corresponding Daily Activity Report in the Maintenance Management System (MMS) is created and labor and equipment is properly charged to each bridge NBI number under Function Code 601 Bridge Inspection.
  • Ensure that bridge inspection safety is discussed and documented in daily safety meetings, including safety risks specific to the bridges being inspected.
  • All inspectors should have proper training prior to performing the off-year inspection (MNT127 class, training from MBITS District Coordinator, etc).

Record Retention

All completed MBITS forms are to be retained electronically for the life of the bridge asset plus an additional 5 years.

Where to Find Additional Information

Additional information on the bridge inspection program is contained in the
Bridge Inspection Manual
published by the Bridge Division. The Bridge Inspection Form
1085-1
is also maintained by the Bridge Division.