National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) Gary Moss, P.E. Office of Bridge Technology Federal Highway Administration Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this morning. The update to the National Bridge Inspection Standards regulation is the first since 1988 – its been 17 years! I’m going to skip the history behind the NBIS since we’ve probably all heard it by now. Suffice it to say that Congress directed the Secretary of the DOT to establish national bridge inspection standards for the proper safety inspection and evaluation of all highway bridges.

Bridge Inspection - Outline National Bridge Inspection Standards-NBIS National Bridge Inventory – NBI USDOT uses the NBI component data to allocate Bridge funds to the States and monitor national bridge condition trends. States collect NBI data and additional component and more detailed element level data for their bridge management programs July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Silver Bridge, West VA 1967 July, 2009 NBIS Overview

NBIS – The Law Federal Aid Highway Act of 1968 23 United States Code (USC) Section 151 - National bridge inspection program Secretary of transportation tasked with establishing national bridge inspection standards for the proper safety inspection and evaluation of all highway bridges in consultation with the State transportation departments. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

NBIS – The Law (1) method for the inspections. (2) establish time period between inspections. (3) establish qualification for inspectors. (4) require State to maintain. (A) written reports of highway bridge inspections. (B) current inventory data for all highway bridges. (NBI) (5) establish a procedure for national certification of highway bridge inspectors. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Latest NBIS Final Rule 23 CFR Part 650 Subpart C Published on December 14, 2004 But much more NHI Training - BIRM AASHTO Manual For Condition Evaluation of Bridges NBI Coding Guide A complete history of the notices and comments received can be viewed on the official docket web site shown here. Enter the docket number 8954. Once the regulation was published, we issued a set a Questions and Answers to assist in implementation. I’ll discuss the Q&As periodically as we go through the slides. Two target dates were established (not in the regulation, but something for us to shoot for): implementation plans by April 13, 2005 and full implementation (or compliance) by January 13, 2006. These are targets and we recognize that in some cases, for good reasons, the target dates will need to be adjusted. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

NBIS Final Rule The updated regulation, still at the same location within the CFR, contains nine sections. New sections: Purpose, Definitions, Bridge Inspection Organization, Reference Manuals Other sections combined and/or had their titles revised. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.301 (NEW) : Purpose Regulation sets the national standards for the proper safety inspection and evaluation of all highway bridges in accordance with 23 U.S.C 151 Let’s start going through the sections in some detail. Purpose section is new. Simply restates what Congress wrote in the law many years ago. Helps emphasize that the NBIS is primarily a safety regulation. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.303: Applicability Pertains to all highway bridges located on public roads Publicly owned bridges over 20 feet. Public road: any road or street under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority and open to public travel Key words here – “highway” and “public roads”. Both terms are defined in 23 USC 101: (a)(11) Highway – includes a road, street, and parkway; a ROW, bridge, RR xing, tunnel, etc. (a)(27) Public road – any road or street under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority and open to public travel July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.303: Applicability Does not pertain to: Non-highway bridges, such as pedestrian and railroad bridges Bridges on “private roads” Encourage private bridge owners to inspect their highway bridges in accordance with the NBIS Tunnels Sign support structures, high mast lighting, retaining walls, etc. Private Highway Bridge on Public Road. X X By using and clearly defining the terms “highway” and “public roads”, it is clear that the NBIS does not apply to non-highway bridges, privately owned bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure assets such as signs, walls, etc. With respect to privately owned bridges, the NBIS is a nationally recognized standard. Private bridge owners should inspect to this standard, particularly when the bridge carries a public road. States should encourage private owners to inspect in accordance with the NBIS, or reroute any public highways away from such bridges if NBIS inspections are not conducted. In the preamble, we also clarified that the NBIS applies to seasonally or periodically opened public roads. The key here is that the roads (bridges) must be open to the general public at some point in time. X July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.305 (NEW): Definitions - 33 commonly used bridge inspection terms are defined including: inspection types: Initial, Routine, FC, U/W, In-depth, Hands-on, etc. training quality assurance quality control bridge inspection experience NBIS Three definitions carried over from previous regulation: bridge, fracture critical member, AASHTO Manual Other terms that were ambiguous under the previous regulation have now been defined. Now that they have been defined, the inconsistencies that existed under the previous regulation have come to light in several States. For example, the definition of bridge inspection experience states that the “predominant” amount of experience should be in bridge inspection, but experience in bridge design, bridge maintenance, and bridge construction should be considered. A fracture critical member inspection is defined as “hands-on” inspection of the fracture critical members or components. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.307: Bridge Inspection Organization State Transportation Departments must inspect, or cause to be inspected, all bridges within their boundaries, except for bridges owned by Federal agencies Federal agencies are responsible for inspection of bridges within their jurisdiction (NEW) July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.307: Bridge Inspection Organization State Transportation Department (or Federal Agency) is responsible for statewide… policies & procedures quality control/quality assurance maintaining inventory reports, load ratings, and other requirements Delegation of functions is outlined does not relieve State of responsibility Must have program manager The language of the law (23 USC 151) makes it clear that the States have ultimate responsibility for inspection of bridges within their boundaries. The regulation clarifies that functions can be delegated, but responsibility cannot. Regulation requires one Program Manager at the State. Some States have more than one, by their own choosing. When delegating functions to locals, need to be cautious if the locality does not have a qualified PM. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.309: Qualifications of Personnel Enhances and clarifies the qualifications of personnel. (PM, TL, Inspector) Provides 2 ways to be a Program Manager (PM) Be a registered PE, or have 10 years bridge inspection experience; and Successfully complete an approved comprehensive bridge inspection training course (NEW) Note that comprehensive training is now required for Program Managers who are PEs – this was not a requirement under the previous regulation. Also, the category “qualified for registration” was removed since various interpretations were being made, and actually having the PE was preferred. Old reg – PM could be a registered PE; or, be qualified for PE registration; or, have 10 yrs BIE plus comprehensive training. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.309: Qualifications of Personnel Provides 5 ways to be a team leader (TL) Meet qualifications of a PM; or Have 5 years bridge inspection experience and successfully complete an approved comprehensive bridge inspection training course; or Be a NICET certified Level III or IV Bridge Safety Inspector and successfully complete an approved comprehensive bridge inspection training course (NEW); or Same as previous reg Same, except must also complete comprehensive training July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.309: Qualifications of Personnel Have all the following (NEW): Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET accredited college or university Successfully pass the NCEES FE exam Have 2 years bridge inspection experience Successfully complete an approved comprehensive bridge inspection training course; or New option for those with BS degrees and EITs plus some experience with training. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.309: Qualifications of Personnel Have all the following (NEW): Associate’s degree in engineering or engineering technology from an ABET accredited college or university Have 4 years bridge inspection experience Successfully complete an approved comprehensive bridge inspection training course New option for those w/ Associate’s degrees plus some experience and training. Note that every option requires completion of comprehensive training. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.309: Qualifications of Personnel Load rating qualification individual responsible must be PE (NEW) U/W diver qualification must take training or U/W inspectors course (NEW) Person responsible for load rating must be a PE – new requirement – taken from AASHTO Manual which says “should” be a PE. Training for UW bridge inspection divers is new. Only approved course at this time is the 2 wk NHI Safety Inspection of Bridges training course. We are looking into developing a course specific to UWI. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.309: Qualifications of Personnel Training Through National Highway Institute (NHI) which is a branch of FHWA. We have developed many courses for Inspectors. One of which is an approved comprehensive bridge inspection training course which is two weeks long which is given by NHI. The course is based on a the Bridge Inspectors Reference Manual a 1800+ page document that can be downloaded for free. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.311: Inspection Frequency Sets a frequency that is not to be exceeded for: Routine Inspections Underwater Inspections Fracture Critical Member (FCM) Inspections Damage, In-Depth, and Special Inspections Damage and Special Inspections do not require a Team Leader. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.311: Inspection Frequency Routine Inspections Interval not to exceed 24 months Establish criteria for level and frequency of inspection for bridges requiring inspection at less than 24 month intervals Interval can be extended to 48 months with FHWA approval No real change here. Previous reg recognized that some bridges will be inspected at <24 mo intervals, but did not necessarily say to establish criteria. ______ States have obtained approval for extended frequencies on approximately _______ bridges. Other requests are under review. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.311: Inspection Frequency Underwater Inspections Interval not to exceed 60 months Establish criteria for level and frequency of inspection for bridges requiring inspection at less than 60 month intervals Interval can be extended to 72 months with FHWA approval (NEW) Option to request extended interval up to 72 months is new. To date, no one has requested approval of this extended UWI interval. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.311: Inspection Frequency FCM Inspections Interval not to exceed 24 months (NEW) Establish criteria for level and frequency of inspection for bridges requiring inspection at less than 24 month intervals FCM inspection intervals not addressed in previous reg. There is a statement in the NBI coding guide that represented FHWA policy for a number of years. We simply moved this policy statement into the regulation. There is quite a bit of apprehension over this particular provision of the updated NBIS. FHWA is working with AASHTO, industry, and academia to resolve much of the concern. One approach that is being investigated is to develop a screening or evaluation process for bridges that would filter out those that could receive a hands-on inspection at a frequency greater than 24 months. This concept is in early stages of development. Be prepared to quote the source of the current FCM definition – non-load path redundant structures. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.311: Inspection Frequency Damage, In-Depth, and Special Inspections Establish criteria for level and frequency of inspection for bridges requiring these inspections Reg does not specify a frequency. Left it up to the PM to establish appropriate criteria. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.313: Inspection Procedures Inspect each bridge in accordance with the procedures in the AASHTO Manual Provide at least one TL on-site during each initial, routine, in-depth, FCM, and underwater inspection Rating and load posting: Rate according to the AASHTO Manual Post or restrict bridges according to the AASHTO manual or State law Inspect and rate in accordance with the AASHTO Manual – same wording in previous reg. TL on-site: This has been FHWA’s policy for many years. It also is stated in the AASHTO Manual. We simply made it a regulation requirement because of its importance. Added “State routine permit loads” to the post or restrict provisions. If a State routine permit load exceeds that allowed under the OR, bridge must be posted or the permit load restricted from using that bridge. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.313: Inspection Procedures Documentation: Prepare bridge files in accordance with the AASHTO manual Maintain reports and relevant maintenance data Record findings and results on standard forms Expanded information on documentation – more closely matches the AASHTO Manual. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.313: Inspection Procedures Identify bridges with FCMs, requiring underwater inspection, and those that are scour critical FCM Bridges: Identify location of FCMs and describe the inspection frequency and procedures Underwater: Identify location and describe underwater elements and describe the inspection frequency and procedures Scour Critical: Prepare a plan of action to monitor deficiencies and address critical findings (NEW) FCM and UW – essentially the same requirements as previous reg. Was commonly referred to as “master lists” under the previous reg. Having plans of action for scour critical bridges has been a policy of FHWA for many years. Now it’s a regulation requirement. Scour is the number one cause of bridge failures. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.313: Inspection Procedures Identify inspection procedures, training, and experience required to inspect complex bridges Assure QC/QA procedures are used to maintain accuracy and consistency (NEW) Include field reviews of inspection teams, bridge inspection refresher training for PMs and TLs, and review of inspection reports QC/QA procedures – something FHWA has always encouraged (and many States already have). Requires: field review of inspection teams, refresher training for PMs and TLs, and independent review of reports. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.313: Inspection Procedures Establish procedures to assure critical findings are addressed timely Notify the FHWA of actions taken to resolve findings (NEW) Again, having a follow-up procedure for critical findings is something that FHWA has expected as a matter of policy. It is now a regulation requirement, but most States probably already have this procedure in place. Incorporating a process for notifying FHWA may be new. Lacking any current specific time frame, a period of every one to three months is suggested. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.315: Inventory Prepare and maintain an inventory of all bridges subject to the NBIS Collect and retain SI&A data according to the Coding Guide Nothing new here. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.315: Inventory Enter SI&A data into inventory within 90 days for State and Federal bridges and 180 days for all other bridges for: Routine, in-depth, FCM, underwater, damage and special inspections from date of inspection Bridge modifications that alter previous data and new bridges after completion of the work Changes in load restriction or closure status Time frames for entering and updating NBI data has been clarified. Added terms like “…from date of inspection”, “…after completion of work”, and “…after the change in status.” July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Section 650.317: Reference Manuals AASHTO Manual For Condition Evaluation of Bridges, 2nd edition, 2001 and 2003 revisions incorporated by reference (NEW) makes AASHTO Manual a part of regulation AASHTO Manual has lots of ‘shoulds’; means do it unless there is justification not to! New – AASHTO Manual has been incorporated by reference, which essentially makes the manual part of the regulation. NBIS takes precedence where conflicts or discrepancies arise. NBIS takes precedence over AASHTO Manual July, 2009 NBIS Overview

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbis.htm The regulation as well as a detailed set of questions and answers is available on our web site. We have updated the Q&As once already and will do so again should the need arise. We will also be updating the non-regulatory supplement to the FAPG in the near future. July, 2009 NBIS Overview

Federal Highway Administration Questions? Gary Moss, P.E. 202-366-4654 Bridge Programs Federal Highway Administration