Bridge Inspection and Evaluation: Current Status and Where We Are Heading
Webinar
This presentation explores the evolving landscape of bridge inspection, highlighting the shift from purely visual assessments to a more comprehensive approach that includes nondestructive testing and structural monitoring. It covers current methods, emerging expectations for bridge management, updates to federal standards, and future trends in inspection practices.
Member: Free
Credit Info
- Contact Hours: 1
- IACET CEUs: 0.1
- Valid for ASNT Level III recertification: Yes
Original air date: 25 January 2023
Course Overview
Bridge infrastructure condition has been at the forefront of public concern due to the increasing age of bridges, many built during the interstate era and nearing their design life, with a lack of needed investments. Bridge inspection, which is predominantly visual, plays a major role in obtaining bridge condition data to ensure safety and planning future work. While safety has been the primary focus for bridge inspections and asset management, recent emphasis has also been on preservation, reliability, and mobility. This requires changes to accommodate low service interruptions and finding deterioration at early stages. Hence, nondestructive testing and structural monitoring are increasingly becoming popular to complement the visual inspection of bridges. This presentation will discuss current bridge inspection and evaluation methods, recent changes, and future trends.
Upon Completion, Learners Will Be Able To:
- Recall the current highway bridge population in the US.
- Describe how highway bridges are visually inspected at present, following federal standards.
- Explain how current expectations from the bridge inspection process have changed to accommodate a bridge management perspective.
- Identify upcoming changes to federal inspection standards.
- Discuss how NDE and structural monitoring are being used to augment visual inspections.
Meet the Speakers
Sreenivas Alampalli, PhD
Dr. Sreenivas Alampalli is a Senior Principal at Stantec, specializing in asset management, structural monitoring, and bridge testing. He spent over 30 years at NYSDOT, contributing to research, inspection, and asset evaluation. A Fellow of ASCE, ASNT, SEI, and ISHMII, he has authored over 250 technical publications. His honors include the ASCE OPAL Award, ISHMII Lifetime Achievement Award, and ASNT Bridge NDT Lifetime Award, recognizing his leadership in civil infrastructure health monitoring.
Questions? Contact us at education@asnt.org