Bridge deck inspections are a significant component for many DOTs or the firms they employ for that purpose. And there are over 610,000 highway bridges in the United States, and most of these bridges’ construction, repair, rehabilitation, and inspections are funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Responsibility for the regular inspection of these highway […]
Bucket trucks have a long and interesting history. Over the years since their inception, bucket trucks have been referred to by many names, including cherry pickers, aerial lifts, man-lifts, and boom trucks. In addition, they’ve been called elevated work platforms, aerial work platforms, and basket cranes. In the heavy equipment industry, the larger capability telescopic […]
Anyone who works with highway bridges, whether constructing them, maintaining, repairing them, or even inspecting them, their biggest fear is a bridge failure. Keep in mind that a bridge “failure” does not always entail the collapse of a bridge span but can mean the presence of a significant degree of damage. If the damage, regardless […]
Road construction, repairs, and maintenance – including that done on highway bridges – almost always requires a temporary traffic control set up. This can range from a small flagging operation, to a large scale lane closure consisting of TTC signs, arrow boards, message boards, barricades, and truck mounted attenuators. Temporary Traffic Control (TTC), also referred […]
Asking what it is about Snooper™ trucks that make them so ideal for bridge inspections might seem like a trick question to veteran bridge inspectors. For many DOTs, engineering firms, and highway contractors, a Snooper™ truck is the epitome of the ultimate bridge inspection vehicle. In fact, the legendary Snooper™ has become almost synonymous with […]
Routine bridge inspections are often anything but “routine.” For most people, engineers included, there is nothing routine about being suspended 175 feet above a green, valley floor. And this in a metal basket attached to the end of a thin, steel boom that’s been lowered from the relative safety of a bridge deck! When you’re […]
Depending on the industry you’re in, the term “bucket truck” might bring to mind different things. For many people, the sight of a utility company boom truck, hoisting a one-man bucket up to the top of a power pole is quite familiar. But a bucket truck is a far more versatile and varied piece of […]
Routine bridge inspections are, more often than not, exactly that: routine. Most of the time, on most highway and railway bridges, there is little or nothing out of the ordinary that comes up. Except when there is. A vivid example of what bridge inspection crews can find while using a Snooper™ truck or other under […]
Employee engagement levels are declining across the globe, and companies are becoming increasingly concerned about uncertainties that come with lack of motivation in their workforce. However, one proven solution for improving employee engagement is through community outreach programs. Why community outreach? According to one recent employee engagement research study, it was revealed that up to […]
America’s highway and railway bridges must be continually inspected, repaired, and maintained. And it’s not a small task! As most of those in the industry know, the United States has more than 617,000 bridges and, of these, almost 260,000 of them are 50 years old or more. That’s 42 percent of our bridges, by the […]
