Bridge inspection

9th February 2027 - 10th February 2027

9.30 to 13.00 each day

Virtual by Microsoft Teams

Bridges are expensive assets and can be the greatest liability on a rights of way service because of potential for serious incidents from failure. Inspections and their records are crucial to protecting both the public and the council, as well as ensuring that the public right is protected by the bridge being fit for passage.

Different materials have their own characteristics and likely defects, so understanding how a bridge functions under load, from flood water under it to the public crossing it, is important to finding and assessing defects. Awareness of the design and its function, and the terminology of a bridge are valuable in producing an intelligent report, especially if referred back to after an incident or insurance claim, and for referral to a structural engineer or contractor.

The course aims to promote greater understanding of bridge inspection and how to record it, and to recognise the limitations of the person looking at the bridge and when to refer to a structural engineer. The course does not attempt to 'qualify' any participant as a bridge inspector.

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Summary

Understanding the construction of a bridge, how to inspect (preparation and on site), recording an inspection, deciding schedule of re-inspection and what to include when referring to a structural engineer.

The course does not cover asset management systems or work beyond inspection such as decisions on repair or replace or Environment Agency consents.

Main topics

The anatomy of a bridge and terminology
Load paths and how loads pass through a bridge
Typical defects for different materials
Bridge inspection from desk to report
Severity and extent of defects and their risks
When to refer to structures
Creating an 'intelligent client' report, what to include and how

Level

Intermediate; aimed at both recent starters and more experienced officers involved with maintenance.

Trainer

Abigail Vine, bridge engineer, Countryside Capital Programme Officer, Surrey

Cost

Members £253, non-members £395 (exc VAT)

Software

Microsoft Teams is the software used for training which is available to anyone. Using the app is strongly recommended for full functionality as the web browser version may be missing some facilities, although full participation should be possible, use of some apps within Teams may be limited by participating organisation's protocols.