What is Ontario Structure inspection Manual?

The “Field Inspection Guide” is a condensed version of the “Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM). It summarizes the major parts of the main manual including inspection procedures, material defects, condition states, maintenance needs and performance deficiencies.

How often should an OSIM inspection be completed?

In general, Enhanced OSIM inspections should be done at least every 6 years for bridges older than 30 years and with areas of poor on the critical structural members or at anytime at the discretion of the Engineer.

How are bridges inspected?

A geologist hammer and a simple rotary impact tool are used to test bridges. Using a rotary impact tool to “sound” a bridge, inspectors listen for differences in pitches and frequencies that indicate the health of a bridge. A geologist hammer can also be used to sound different areas of the bridge.

Who inspects bridges for safety?

The federal government oversees and tracks the inspection and condition of the nation’s more than 600,000 bridges and pays for much of the repair and replacement to keep them safe.

How long does it take to inspect a bridge?

Therefore, the FHWA requires the evaluation of all bridges, however, the biannual inspection cost is $ 2.7 billion in the U.S. alone. The time required for the onsite inspection ranges from 1 to 3 days which involves the closure of lanes for the span of the inspection causing traffic congestion.

What do bridge inspectors do?

Bridge inspectors analyze and evaluate the condition of bridges to ensure that they’re safe so people can feel secure about crossing them.

What makes a bridge fracture critical?

A fracture critical bridge is one that contains one or more non-load path redundant steel tension member, component, or connection. There must be no load path redundancy of the bridge, in which no other structural elements can carry the load if a main load-carrying member fails.

Are gusset plates fracture critical?

Floor beam connections, lateral bracing connections, bearings, gusset plates, connection angles, pins, hangers, etc. are all typically considered a part of the fracture critical connection.

What must be included in a bridge database?

It includes identification information, bridge types and specifications, operational conditions, bridge data including geometric data and functional description, and inspection data. Any bridge more than 20 feet (6 meters) long used for vehicular traffic is included.

Which bridges are fracture critical?

A fracture critical bridge is one that contains one or more non-load path redundant steel tension member, component, or connection. The FHWA presents two criteria for identifying a fracture critical bridge: 1. The bridge must have one or more steel members, components, or connections in tension.