Bridges are a critical part of this nation's infrastructure. Their thorough and regular inspection is vital to the safety of everyone who crosses them. However, gaining access to primary structural members of a high-level bridge presents a major dilemma. In 1981, burgess and niple ltd. Pioneered a unique approach to bridge inspection using rock-climbing technology. Trained structural engineers and technicians use standard climbing techniques to reach bridge componentsthat are often difficult to access. By applying climbing skills, inspectors can ascend and descend, walk and climb on, swing and hang from, and maneuver around various bridge components. The climbing approach to bridge inspection offers several advantages over traditional methods. The equipment is lighter and less cumbersome than safety equipment used by iron workers. The techniques are often quicker, less expensive, and more effective than mechanical access methods. Inspection by climbing allows little or no disruption of vehicular traffic. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1319, Bridge and hydrology research 1991.
Abstract