Speaking

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recognized significant deficiencies in two of their cable stay (CS) bridges across the Ohio River. They retained Burgess & Niple (B&N) to inspect, perform non-destructive testing (NDT), and generate rehabilitation plans to extend the service life and preservation of the two structures. This is a case study of the interesting and pertinent details of the project. The William H. Natcher CS Bridge is 4,505 feet long and 67 feet wide. It is supported by 96 stay cables connected to two identical diamond-shaped towers: each 374 feet tall. At the time of its construction in 2002, it was the United States’ longest stay cable-supported bridge over an inland waterway. The William H. Harsha Bridge is 2,420 feet long, from abutment to abutment. The superstructure is supported by 80 stay cables connected to two identical two-plane semi-harped towers. The project is ongoing. 

This presentation will focus on the technologies changing the profession of bridge inspection and their application. UAS systems (Drones) for data capture, augmented reality-assisted inspections, and using virtual reality for project viewing will be discussed. The presentation will share case studies and discuss lessons learned. 

The presentation will highlight hybrid inspections, where many tools and methods are used to obtain inspection data. When to utilize UBIT vs. UAS vs. Rope Access to perform inspections and factors that influence success will be discussed through case studies.