Bridge inspections reached a huge milestone in April, when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began collecting “element-level” bridge condition data from state departments of transportation.
In an element-level bridge inspection — mandated by the latest highway bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) — “each square foot of the bridge deck, and its other elements, such as the joint seals, receive a separate rating,” according to a statement from the FHWA. “Dividing bridge components into smaller, more manageable elements will ensure engineers understand the extent of bridge deterioration, which will help them make more informed decisions about repair, preservation and replacement.”