Introduction to Railroad Bridge Inspection America rail network stretches over nearly 140,000 miles and has approximately 100,000 railroad bridges which allow trains to cross rivers, ravines, and gorges. Moreover, railroad overpasses help pedestrians and vehicle to move without any hassles. Without strong and physically sound bridges, it is impossible for the rail network to work therefore billions of dollars is invested in its maintenance. Why is railroad bridge inspection important? Regular railroad bridge inspection contributes more to railroad safety than any other part of maintenance. According to federal regulation, the railroad must be inspected by trained inspectors once a year. There is various type of Railroad Bridge Inspection which are:
Routine inspection Verification inspection In-depth inspection Special inspection Underwater inspection Semi-final construction inspection
The recommended duration for different types of inspection varies on the basis of nature of the inspection. For example, routine inspection can be performed in a year while a thorough inspection with tools and crew can be performed once in five years. Objective of railroad bridge inspection
To fulfill the requirements of bridge safety standards To establish and maintain the information necessary for fulfilling the requirements of railroad bridge management program (RBMP) To ensure discovery of any deterioration, defect or structural deficiency which could pose threat to travelers to provide a condition evaluation report for qualifying railroad structures in the bridge inventory To determine the extent of minor deterioration for initiating maintenance and repairing work To determine the extent of major deterioration so that the affected bridge candidate can be replaced or repaired
Challenges of railroad bridge inspection Generally, railroad bridges are constructed over water bodies and other deep gaps to allow passage for the trains and detailed inspection of these bridges must be performed in every 5 years. In the US, 20% of