The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began collecting new data from state DOTs to monitor U.S. bridge conditions more closely. State DOTs started providing more detailed information to the National Bridge Inspection Program (NBIP) in April.
Traditionally, bridge inspectors have given one overall score to rate the condition of the bridge deck and that single rating reflected both the severity of a problem and the degree to which it was widespread or confined to a small area.
Under the new system, each sq ft of the bridge deck as well as its other elements, such as the joint seals, receives a separate rating. Dividing bridge components into smaller, more manageable elements ensures that engineers understand the extent of bridge deterioration. This new system aims to help bridge engineers make more informed decisions about repair, preservation and replacement.
Over the last decade, even as the total number of bridges in the nation's inventory increased, the percentage of bridges classified as structurally deficient or in need of repair, dropped from 13.1% in 2005 to 10% in 2014.
