{"id":14520,"date":"2023-08-04T08:15:09","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T13:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?p=14520"},"modified":"2023-08-17T08:07:42","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T13:07:42","slug":"how-to-extend-the-life-of-your-bridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/how-to-extend-the-life-of-your-bridges\/","title":{"rendered":"How to extend the life of your bridges"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Steven Myer<\/p>\n

There are more than 617,000 bridges in the U.S., all of which are inspected by qualified bridge inspection team leaders every two years. According to <\/span>federal data,<\/span><\/a> one in three are structurally deficient\u2014in need of repair or replacement. A total of 42,391 (6.8%)<\/a> of them are rated in poor condition. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Structurally deficient doesn\u2019t necessarily mean unsafe. According to a federal government definition, revised in 2018, a bridge is structurally deficient if the deck, superstructure (girders), substructure (piers and abutments), or culvert condition is rated at 4 (poor) or less. <\/span>Many of these bridges can still be used, however.<\/span> In addition, during these biennial inspections, each bridge is given a sufficiency rating from zero to 100, with 100 being a pristine bridge. This rating is another sign of the service life left in the bridge. As bridges deteriorate, the weight the bridge can carry (load rating) is decreased and a weight limit sign must be posted.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Repairing or replacing every structurally deficient bridge in the U.S. would cost approximately $125 billion, according to federal estimates. But there are strategies to extend the life of a bridge that\u2019s in fair condition (rated 5 or 6) <\/span>but trending toward a poor condition. It also can save money in the long run to properly maintain and repair bridges rated in good condition (rated 7 to 9).<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s often difficult to find the time and money for maintenance, preservation and rehabilitation projects can fix deteriorating components and stave off some of the deterioration.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Focus on \u201cfair\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Preservation and rehabilitation projects targeted at bridges rated in fair condition (scoring a 5 or 6) <\/span>or good (scoring a 7 to 9)<\/span> will bring the biggest bang for your buck. These bridges are at risk of continued deterioration and being downgraded to structurally deficient and<\/span>\/or a poor rating. The key is focusing on the ones with enough service life left in them to be worth the investment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a point of diminishing returns. When we do a preservation or rehabilitation project on a bridge, we want a minimum of 20 years of service life<\/span> out of that bridge. Some states set a ceiling for project costs. If a rehabilitation project is estimated to cost 60% or more than the estimate of a replacement project, the rehabilitation project is rejected and a replacement project is started.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Preservation projects<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Preservation projects are used to improve components <\/span>(like the deck or girders, etc.) <\/span>of a bridge that are starting to deteriorate. <\/span>Typically,<\/span> these projects will not improve the load rating of a bridge. If a bridge is posted, a preservation project <\/span>will not, in many cases, remove<\/span> those weight restrictions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples of preservation projects include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n