Bridge Repair on the Fast Track

For repair with tight deadlines, conventional approaches to inspection and repair might not be fast enough. Where the concept of design-build leaves off, the contractual solution of inspect-repair picks up, conflating inspection and repair into one operation, and accelerating a time-consuming, costly process. Conventional wisdom for a bridge-repair project typically dictates three sequential phases: inspection, design, then construction. A linear approach may be essential when repairs are design-intensive or complex, but can stretch the entire project over several years. A long delay between the initial bridge inspection and start of repair work allows further deterioration and compounds repair costs. For certain repair projects, especially those that demand a timely start, this sequential method of contracting may have to give way to the new concept of inspect-repair.