When it comes to renting an underbridge inspection truck, knowing exactly what you need and what equipment best meets that need can be challenging.
Of course, if you’ve been in the business of inspecting bridges for a while and have done this numerous times already, then bridge inspection truck rental is likely a routine matter.
Bridge Inspection Trucks: Essential Equipment for Contractors and DOTs
Bridge inspections, due to the nature of a bridge structure, require specialized equipment to carry out visual and “hands on” inspections effectively. For most bridges, this means some type of bridge inspection vehicle that is either truck-mounted or trailer-mounted.
As one online post points out,
“As of 2005, according to the Federal Highway Administration, interstate highways must be at least 16 feet high over the whole roadway width, including the shoulders. Freeways and arterial roadways have minimum height requirements that vary between 14 and 16 feet. For local and collector roadways, the minimum height is 14 feet.”
And these are the “easy” ones.
There are close to 170 bridges in the United States, most of them spanning waterways, that have a deck height of o130 feet or more. The highest bridge, of course, is the venerable Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado whose span hovers at 955 feet above the Arkansas River.
Most routine bridge inspections are not performed at sites quite that spectacular, however. But there are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of bridges with ground or water clearances of far more than a mere 14 to 16 feet.
Gaining Underbridge Access with an Underbridge Inspection Truck Rental
For example, a recent news story from Covington, Kentucky noted that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) had announced traffic delays and travel pattern changes for the Brent Spence Bridge that spans the Ohio River between Kentucky and Ohio.
“As work progresses, inspectors are onsite daily, inspecting the steel structure to ensure the current work is performed to KYTC standards and that the bridge is in quality condition.”
That particular bridge has four lanes of traffic on each of its upper and lower decks and is 272 feet above the river. Because it is situated over a waterway, any underbridge inspection activities must be performed from the bridge deck. And this necessitates the use of an underbridge inspection unit, typically truck-mounted varieties.
For underbridge access of heights less than 70 feet, for example, and for bridges over ground that is not an active roadway, aerial boom lifts can often be used. However, in most bridge inspection, maintenance, and repair situations an underbridge inspection truck is the equipment of choice.
Bridge Inspection Truck Options from McClain and Company
McClain currently lists sixteen different underbridge access truck-mounted and trailer-mounted units. Our selection ranges from a robust, truck-mounted articulated boom UBIU (underbridge inspection unit) that features a horizontal underbridge reach of up to 75 feet, to a versatile trailer-mounted unit that offers a 24 foot reach under a bridge deck.
Depending on your project’s requirements, we have both truck and trailer-mounted UBIUs with either a two or three man bucket, or an extended platform. Keep in mind, too, that in addition to the horizontal underbridge reach, vertical or lowering depth is critical, as well.
Another consideration, especially for bridge inspection purposes, is the ability of a unit to place its platform or bucket at various locations underneath a bridge deck.
Some of our units must move along the bridge deck to place the bucket in a different work area, while many of the rest can rotate their platforms or buckets 180 degrees from side-to-side. To place the bucket or platform down and under a bridge deck, these UBIUs must have the capacity to raise them over bridge railings or fencing, and across catwalks or sidewalks, as well.
Bridge Inspection Truck Rental Requirements with McClain and Company
Typically, our bridge inspection truck rental includes one of our trained McClain operators who function as our CDL/DOT approved driver for the unit. We also provide a trained and certified topside operator for the UBIU. With this rental option, we do require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from your company that includes special coverage.
In addition, because we recognize that many experienced inspectors, engineers, and contractors prefer to navigate under bridges by themselves, we offer options for everyone depending on their level of experience and their company’s insurance coverage.
Please note, too, that for both types of rental options, McClain and Company requires a Certificate of Insurance.
The COI should include your company’s General Liability and Automobile Liability coverage that has:
- Full comprehensive
- Collision
- Liability coverage
And, in addition, it must include your company’s Workers Compensation and Professional Liability coverage.
Also, your COI must name McClain & Co., Inc. in the description box as an additional insured and loss payee.
McClain and Company – Your Best Source for Bridge Inspection Truck Rental
We believe that not only is customer service our utmost priority, but that everything we do involves service to our customers. Everyone here at McClain and Company firmly believes that your success is our success, which is why our number one goal is to help you successfully complete your project.
If you have questions about our extensive underbridge inspection truck rental services, or just want to learn more about bridge inspection truck rentals and sales in the Culpeper, Virginia area, you can reach out to McClain & Co., Inc., by calling us at 1-888-889-1284, or email us at [email protected].