America rail network stretches over nearly 140,000 miles and has approximately 100,000 railroad bridges which allow trains to cross rivers, ravines, and gorges. Moreover, railroad overpasses help pedestrians and vehicle to move without any hassles. Without strong and physically sound bridges, it is impossible for the rail network to work therefore billions of dollars is invested in its maintenance.
Why are railroad bridge inspection important?
Regular railroad bridge inspection contributes more to railroad safety than any other part of maintenance. According to federal regulation, the railroad must be inspected by trained inspectors once a year. There arevarious type of railroad bridge inspections which include:
• Routine inspection
• Verification inspection
• In-depth inspection
• Special inspection
• Underwater inspection
• Semi-final construction inspection
The recommended duration for different types of inspection varies on the basis of nature of the inspection. For example, routine inspection can be performed every year while a thorough inspection with tools and crew can be performed once every five years.
Objective of railroad bridge inspections
• To fulfill the requirements of bridge safety standards
• To establish and maintain the information necessary for fulfilling the requirements of railroad bridge management program (RBMP)
• To ensure discovery of any deterioration, defect or structural deficiency which could pose threat to travelers
• to provide a condition evaluation report for qualifying railroad structures in the bridge inventory
• To determine the extent of minor deterioration for initiating maintenance and repairing work
• To determine the extent of major deterioration so that the affected bridge candidate can be replaced or repaired
Challenges of railroad bridge inspection
Generally, railroad bridges are constructed over water bodies and other deep gaps to allow passage for the trains and detailed inspection of these bridges must be performed every 5 years. In the US, 20% of the railroad bridges are too high to inspect from the ground or constructed over water bodies which require lifts, barges or inspection crew member on hoists. These types of inspections pose huge risk to the life of the inspection personnel.
In traditional railroad bridge inspection, power lifts or ladders are being used to reach heights and crew members use hand or power operated tools. The result obtained by manual inspection is often time-consuming and not very accurate.
Infrastructure Preservation Corporation understands the challenges of railroad bridge inspection and therefore offers advanced inspection technologies. We use robotics like unmanned aircraft system (UAS)which includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) also known as a drone, an aircraft without a human pilot.
Features of UAS
• It can capture images from any location even underneath the structure
• Inspection can be performed in less time
• Results are more accurate than traditional inspection
• Assures safety to the inspection crew
• Less expenditure on bridge inspection
• Inspection data are based on bridge safety standard
• 3D images for easy interpretation
• Clients can access the data online, give their reviews and response promptly
• Data can be used for future reference for monitoring purpose
Although IPC prefers other technologies above the bridge deck, the use of UAS below the bridge deck can provide a lot of information and do not interfere with traffic or distracting the public.
Contact Infrastructure Preservation Corporation to find out more about our railroad bridge inspection services and to get a free estimate. Our various inspection services provide you detailed, safe and cost-effective return on your investment. So log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com now and become one of IPC’s satisfied clients!
Why are railroad bridge inspection important?
Regular railroad bridge inspection contributes more to railroad safety than any other part of maintenance. According to federal regulation, the railroad must be inspected by trained inspectors once a year. There arevarious type of railroad bridge inspections which include:
• Routine inspection
• Verification inspection
• In-depth inspection
• Special inspection
• Underwater inspection
• Semi-final construction inspection
The recommended duration for different types of inspection varies on the basis of nature of the inspection. For example, routine inspection can be performed every year while a thorough inspection with tools and crew can be performed once every five years.
Objective of railroad bridge inspections
• To fulfill the requirements of bridge safety standards
• To establish and maintain the information necessary for fulfilling the requirements of railroad bridge management program (RBMP)
• To ensure discovery of any deterioration, defect or structural deficiency which could pose threat to travelers
• to provide a condition evaluation report for qualifying railroad structures in the bridge inventory
• To determine the extent of minor deterioration for initiating maintenance and repairing work
• To determine the extent of major deterioration so that the affected bridge candidate can be replaced or repaired
Challenges of railroad bridge inspection
Generally, railroad bridges are constructed over water bodies and other deep gaps to allow passage for the trains and detailed inspection of these bridges must be performed every 5 years. In the US, 20% of the railroad bridges are too high to inspect from the ground or constructed over water bodies which require lifts, barges or inspection crew member on hoists. These types of inspections pose huge risk to the life of the inspection personnel.
In traditional railroad bridge inspection, power lifts or ladders are being used to reach heights and crew members use hand or power operated tools. The result obtained by manual inspection is often time-consuming and not very accurate.
Infrastructure Preservation Corporation understands the challenges of railroad bridge inspection and therefore offers advanced inspection technologies. We use robotics like unmanned aircraft system (UAS)which includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) also known as a drone, an aircraft without a human pilot.
Features of UAS
• It can capture images from any location even underneath the structure
• Inspection can be performed in less time
• Results are more accurate than traditional inspection
• Assures safety to the inspection crew
• Less expenditure on bridge inspection
• Inspection data are based on bridge safety standard
• 3D images for easy interpretation
• Clients can access the data online, give their reviews and response promptly
• Data can be used for future reference for monitoring purpose
Although IPC prefers other technologies above the bridge deck, the use of UAS below the bridge deck can provide a lot of information and do not interfere with traffic or distracting the public.
Contact Infrastructure Preservation Corporation to find out more about our railroad bridge inspection services and to get a free estimate. Our various inspection services provide you detailed, safe and cost-effective return on your investment. So log on to our website https://www.infrastructurepc.com now and become one of IPC’s satisfied clients!
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