N.Y. Highway Law § 232: Uniform code of bridge inspection

§ 232. Uniform code of bridge inspection. 1. Code development; rules

and regulations. The commissioner shall, after public hearing,

promulgate a uniform code of bridge inspection, hereinafter referred to

as the "code", by rule and regulation which shall be known as the

uniform code of bridge inspection which shall, in all cases meet or

exceed applicable federal law. The commissioner shall periodically

review the code to ensure that it effectuates the purposes of this

section. For the purpose of this section the term "bridge" shall refer

only to bridges publicly-owned, operated or maintained as defined in

section two hundred thirty of this article.

2. Periodic inspections. Any bridge publicly-owned, operated or

maintained shall be inspected at least once every two years in

accordance with the provisions of the code and shall be further

inspected and/or evaluated at such other times as may be required

therein. The code shall also set forth requirements for the interim

inspections or evaluations and the scope of such inspections or

evaluations where the structural integrity of a bridge is or has been

threatened by a storm, flood, natural phenomenon, accident or manmade

occurrence; where a bridge has known deficiencies; and where a bridge is

posted for weight limits less than that which is legal on the highway

leading to or from the bridge.

3. Minimum code requirements. The uniform code of bridge inspection

shall require, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) provisions that all bridge inspections shall include a review of

the most recent inspection report and, to the extent available and

retrievable in the normal course of business and consistent with public

safety, the most recent structural integrity evaluation, an examination

of the design, as-built plans, contract documents, history of

construction including any history of strucutural alterations, repairs,

rehabilitation or maintenance;

(b) provisions for the establishment of a rating system keyed to the

structural integrity and safety of the bridge;

(c) provisions that any aspect of a bridge that is not inspected at

the time of the inspection or is determined by the supervising engineer

to be uninspectable, shall be inspected as to its condition as soon

thereafter as such aspect becomes inspectable provided, however, if

judged to be permanently uninspectable such status and condition shall

be noted;

(d) procedures for all underwater inspections;

(e) criteria and guidelines for approved scour indicator systems where

a bridge has foundations subject to scour; and

(f) procedures for the temporary closing of a bridge and the

notification of the commissioner.

4. Structural integrity evaluation. (a) The code shall establish

requirements for performing bridge structural and foundation system

evaluations in conjunction with an inspection. The criteria for the need

and frequency for these evaluations, which shall be referred to as a

structural integrity, shall be keyed to the structural integrity and

safety rating system required by the code. The code shall also provide

for the scope and contents of such evaluations. Where applicable to the

determination of structural integrity, these evaluations shall include

an analysis of:

(i) where available and retrievable in the normal course of business

and consistent with public safety, the design, design as-built plans,

contract documents, and history of construction, structural alterations,

rehabilitation, and maintenance repairs;

(ii) code changes since the time of original design;

(iii) the live load capacity rating in accordance with current

specifications and/or accepted engineering practice and accounting for

changes in volume and character of traffic;

(iv) the effect of relevant stream changes regarding water crossings;

(v) deterioration and modification to the original structure; and

(vi) a life cycle projection of the scope and estimated cost of

maintenance, repair, and/or rehabilitation in order to provide criteria

for comprehensive bridge management and safety.

(b) Each structural integrity evaluation performed in accordance with

by paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall also include a ten year life

cycle projection, the purpose of which is to estimate the scope and cost

of maintenance, repair and rehabilitation in order to provide criteria

for comprehensive bridge management and safety.

5. Inspections and inspection reports. (a) All bridges shall be

inspected and evaluated by licensed professional engineers or by any

other person who is under the direct supervision of such an engineer

providing such engineer is present at the time of inspection and

evaluation. Any such engineer who shall either perform or supervise an

inspection or evaluation shall be referred to as the inspecting engineer

and shall meet the qualifications for previous bridge design,

construction or inspection experience as prescribed by the commissioner.

All inspections and evaluations shall be reported on forms prescribed by

the commissioner, subscribed by the inspecting engineer and filed with

the commissioner within sixty days of the completion of the inspection

or evaluation. The commissioner may accept for filing a copy of any

incomplete inspection or evaluation report but shall also return any

such report to the inspecting engineer for completion at a time

established by the commissioner but in no case shall such time exceed

sixty days.

(b) Within sixty days of the effective date of this section, every

public entity shall file with the commissioner, for the purposes of

establishing and maintaining the bridge data base as set forth in

section two hundred thirty-one of this article, the most recent

inspection report for bridges conducted prior to such effective date.

6. Maintenance guidelines. The commissioner shall establish by rule

and regulation criteria for the furnishing of written maintenance

guidelines to the owner of a bridge by the design engineer responsible

for either the construction or substantial structural alteration,

repairs, or rehabilitation of a bridge upon completion of such

construction or rehabilitation. This provision shall apply to every

bridge construction alteration, repair, or rehabilitation contracted for

on or after the first day of January, nineteen hundred ninety.