A bridge inspection is thoroughly evaluating a bridge for safety reasons, which is carried out by engineering specialists. Bridge inspections are mandatory by law in most countries. The requirements only apply to bridges conveying vehicular traffic - for instance, trains or cars. The inspection typically focuses on the structure's integrity, drainage, and any other issue that may impact safety. If a bridge doesn't pass the inspection, it could be closed for renovation, maintenance, or also demolished or rebuilt if needed.
Modern bridges are made with concrete and steel reinforcements that are mounted on densely packed earth or bedrock bases. They traverse sharp surface or water bodies - at times lasting several kilometers or miles. Most bridges convey several thousand vehicles daily and should be capable of enduring extreme weather conditions or temperatures. This entails complex interrelated engineering principles like metal fatigue and expansion, traffic patterns, and weight distribution. In America alone, 100,000 or more traffic bridges are regularly subjected to bridge inspection.
In the States, all bridges must be inspected once every two years, as per federal regulations. Some states following their own regulations may mandate a more frequent schedule. Courtesy the inspection, the authorities and concerned civil engineering St Louis professionals use the data accumulated for determining national or global level safety standards.
A specially trained engineer team performs the bridge inspection. They examine several details that add to the safety of the bridge. Besides the factors listed before, the inspectors would also look to inspect metal and rust stress, connections and joints, lighting, road width, railings, and also paint quality that safeguards the bridge against deterioration and rust. Similar inspection principles are also applied to bridges for trains and pedestrians that are put through the inspection process. However, these inspections don't guarantee 100 percent safety, since bridge-related accidents cannot be completely ruled out.
