View article

Collapse of the Silver Bridge over Ohio river between West Virginia and Ohio in 1967, which killed over 40 people, highlighted the need of conducting frequent safety inspections. Consequently, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 was passed that required the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to establish the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) to ensure the safety of the traveling public. The Act directed the States to maintain an inventory of bridges in the Federal-aid highway system. This Act was amended several times and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) revised its regulations to develop the current version of the Standards. The National Bridge Inspection Standards provide guidelines on the types of bridges that are required to be inspected, inspection frequency, qualification of bridge inspectors, and documenting observations and maintenance of bridge inventories. As per the Standards …