4. BRIDGE INSPECTIONS

The prime objective of the inspection is to safeguard the bridge for the general movement of the public. The methodology and inspection procedures are described in detail in the Bridge Inspection Manual. The inspection result will be the basis to program the routine maintenance and to priorities additional maintenance as well as rehabilitation works. There are four categories of inspection:

• Superficial
• Routine
• Principal
• Special

The routine inspection is the bridge inspection that the Division will carry out each year. This is a general examination of the structure to detect evidence of distress that might require repair or maintenance attention. The other inspection that is primarily used in the Division is the Superficial, or informal inspection.

The principal inspection consist of a more detailed inspection of the structure generally from within the touching distance, and often involving a certain amount of nondestructive testing. This will normally be undertaken by qualified bridge engineers either from the consultant or the Bridge Unit.

The special Inspection is carried out to investigate a specific problem, after a major accident or event, such as earthquake or flooding, or passage of unusually heavy loads.

2.1 Superficial inspections

Superficial Inspections are a quick check for damage or obvious faults which might lead to accidents or high maintenance costs. Staff from the Maintenance Division are encouraged to be vigilant and report anything needing urgent attention in any bridge. Examples are impact damage from vehicles, flood damage or insecure expansion joint plates.

Superficial inspections are not restricted to Divisional staff and anyone involved with highway and bridge maintenance should note anything unusual about a bridge whenever they are traveling, and report it to the Divisional Engineer or his staff. Such action can prevent the development of serious problems between routine inspections.

The inspections are made during the course of other duties whenever staff are in the vicinity of the structure. They are not normally the cause of a special visit. Inspections are made from ground and deck level without the provision of access equipment.

Should any Superficial Inspection reveal a possible defect or hazard to the road user the Division shall take such action as is required to safeguard the Public.

A Superficial Inspection report form is completed when defects are noted and the report handed to the Divisional Engineer. The report form is only filled out when action is needed. A sample form is given in Appendix C. It may be photocopied for use.

The Superficial Inspection does not use the Department’s standard rating system for reporting, as described in this manual. A brief written report is all that is required.

The report form may be in either Naepali or English. as can the actual written report.

2.6 Summary

The different types of inspection described above are summarised in the following table.

TYPES OF INSPECTION
Type	Inspector	Frequency
Superficial	Anyone	Any time
Routine	Divisional staff	Yearly
Principal	Consultants / Bridge Unit	5 - 8 years*
Special	Various	As required

*Initially more frequent for a new structure