Statewide Ohio River Fracture Critical Bridge Inspections 2022-2023 - Various Counties, KY
The Palmer/HDR Team was selected by KYTC for one of the Statewide Ohio River Fracture Critical Bridge Inspection Packages for 2022-2023 and has performed the following bridge inspections:
Clark Memorial (056B00136N) - June 2022
Daniel Beard SB (019B00039L) - September 2022
Daniel Beard NB (019B00039R) - September 2022
Ashland 12th Street (010B00040N) - September 2023
Ashland 13th Street (010B00058N) - September 2023
Inspections were performed in accordance with the Kentucky Bridge Inspection Procedures Manual and the AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection. Inspection reports were authored in accordance with Section 300 of the Kentucky Bridge Inspection Procedures Manual and the Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory. Element data were also recorded using AASHTOWARE Bridge Management Software (BrM) and submitted per KYTC standards.
Planning the field work for these bridges included development of maintenance of traffic plans and coordination with Indiana and Ohio DOTs. Industrial rope access techniques in accordance with SPRAT were used to reduce the number and duration of lane closures. FAA Part 107 certified pilots utilized UAVs to supplement the inspections of non-fracture critical bridge elements to more efficiently utilize lane closures and reduce impact to the public.
The inspection of the 12th Street Bridge in Ashland, KY also included a load rating of the pins and gusset plate. An inspection team of 12 members performed the NBI/Routine/Element Level/NSTM inspections and documented pin and gusset plate geometry and deterioration. All team members were PEs, and 9 were QTLs whose combined decades of bridge inspection experience allowed the team to address several challenges in the field and complete the work on time. The team made use of multiple means of access including SPRAT, structure climbing, manlifts, UBIUs, ground access, and UAVs to inspect the bridge.
As part of the inspection of the Daniel Beard Bridges, Magnetic Flux Leakage and Guided Wave Ultrasonic Testing were performed on select cables by TechKnowServ (TKS). The Palmer/HDR Team used an 80-foot Articulating Boom Lift in conjunction with rope access rigging techniques to provide access for TKS to perform the cable testing. The team has extensive experience coordinating with specialized contractors to provide KYTC with non-destructive testing results on bridge elements that cannot be visually inspected.
