| Ever since the introduction of the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) in 1971, there has been a tremendous amount of effort put into bridge rehabilitation programs and safety inspections. However, even though the NBIS is a very comprehensive and useful tool for bridge inspection, the procedure only applies to structures with spans over 20 feet. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) inspects these bridges in accordance with the NBIS on regular intervals, but there is currently no formal inspection procedure in place to assess the condition of short span structures, especially culverts. Culvert responsibility then falls subject to the agency that owns them. Many counties in Wyoming do not have the funding or the resources to maintain detailed records on the condition of their culverts. As a result, culverts can become neglected and fall into a state of disrepair and problems or deficiencies are not noticed until a much larger problem arises. In order to aid county governments in Wyoming to assess the conditions of their culverts and to better allocate limited funding, a comprehensive inspection methodology was developed. This methodology was developed in accordance with WYDOT's existing bridge inspection procedure, the NBIS Coding Guide, FHWA's Culvert Inspection Guide, the PONTIS CoRe Element Report, and several other inspection documents. Since information on short span bridges is very limited, a preliminary inspection procedure was developed for inspecting short span bridges as well. The culvert methodology was then implemented in Goshen County in Wyoming in order to test the procedure, while the preliminary bridge inspection procedure was implemented in Goshen, Platte, Converse, Laramie, and Albany Counties. The data collected was then compiled and assigned condition ratings. A statistical analysis was completed on the culvert data in order to determine which factors and data inputs have the greatest relationship with condition ratings. Based on data inputs, necessary maintenance steps can be identified and cost estimates can be calculated to bring deficient structures to a safe and efficient state. Counties throughout the state can utilize the developed inspection procedures to aid in efficiently allocating limited funds to their deficient structures. Also, by having a comprehensive knowledge of the conditions of these structures, county governments can justify pursuing additional funding. |
