Underwater Bridge Inspection - Diving, Safety, Identifying Defects, Abutments, Caissons, Cofferdams, Protection Devices, Culverts, Inspection Tools, Scour Investigations

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidelines for underwater bridge inspection; acquaint those responsible for bridge safety with underwater inspection techniques and equipment; and present commonly found defects. It should be of interest to bridge and maintenance engineers, divers, and inspectors. To ensure public safety and to protect the capital investment in bridges over water, underwater members must be inspected to the extent necessary to determine their structural condition with certainty. Underwater inspections must also include the streambed. In shallow water, underwater inspections may be accomplished visually or tactilely from above the water surface; in deep water, however, inspections will generally require diving or other appropriate techniques to determine conditions. The underwater inspector has a wide range of diving, inspection, and documentation equipment and techniques available.

CHAPTER 1 - MANAGING AN UNDERWATER INSPECTION PROGRAM * CHAPTER II - THE UNDERWATER INSPECTION TEAM * CHAPTER III - IDENTIFICATION OF UNDERWATER STRUCTURAL DEFECTS * CHAPTER IV - UNDERWATER INSPECTION EQUIPMENT * CHAPTER V - UNDERWATER INSPECTION TECHNIQUES * CHAPTER VI - SCOUR INVESTIGATIONS * CHAPTER VII - INSPECTION REPORTS * CHAPTER VIII - MANAGEMENT OF UNDERWATER CONTRACTS

CHAPTER I - MANAGING AN UNDERWATER INSPECTION PROGRAM * SECTION 1. IDENTIFICATION OF BRIDGES FOR UNDERWATER INSPECTION * 1-1.1 Need for Underwater Inspections * 1-1.2 National Bridge Inspection Standards * SECTION 2. UNDERWATER INSPECTION * 1 -2.1 Levels of Inspection * 1-2.2 Types of Inspection * 1-2.3 Frequency of Inspection * 1- 2.4 Dive Safety * CHAPTER II - THE UNDERWATER INSPECTION TEAM * SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION * 2- 1.1 General * 2-1.2 Qualifications * SECTION 2. DIVE SAFETY STANDARDS * 2-2.1 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) * 2-2.2 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Contract Diving Operations * 2- 2.3 Other Safety Standards * SECTION 3. PLANNING UNDERWATER BRIDGE INSPECTION OPERATIONS * CHAPTER III IDENTIFICATION OF UNDERWATER STRUCTURAL DEFECTS * SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION * SECTION 2. TYPES OF SUBSTRUCTURES LOCATED IN WATER * 3- 2.1 Pile Bents * 3-2.2 Piers * 3-2.3 Abutments * 3-2.4 Caissons * 3-2.4 Cofferdams and Foundation Seals * 3-2.5 Protection Devices * 3-2.7 Culverts * SECTION 3. DETERIORATION OF STRUCTURAL MATERIALS * 3-3.1 Concrete * 3-3.2 Steel * 3-3.3 Masonry * 3-3.4 Timber * 3-3.5 Composite Materials * 3- 3.6 Vessel Damage * CHAPTER IV UNDERWATER INSPECTION EQUIPMENT * SECTION 1. THE DIVER'S ENVIRONMENT * SECTION 2. MODES OF DIVING * 4- 2.1 General * SECTION 3. DIVER'S EQUIPMENT * 4-3.1 Scuba * 4-3.2 Lightweight Surface-Supplied Diving * SECTION 4. INSPECTION TOOLS * 4-4.1 General * 4-4.2 Tools * SECTION 5. UNDERWATER IMAGING * 4-5.1 Photography and Video * 4-5.2 Underwater Imaging * SECTION 6. DIVE PLATFORMS * 4- 6.1 General * CHAPTER V UNDERWATER INSPECTION TECHNIQUES * SECTION 1. PREPARATION AND SAFETY * 5- 1.1 Site Reconnaissance and Data Collection * 5-1.2 Hazard Analysis * SECTION 2. INSPECTION * 5-2.1 General * 5-2.2 Piers and Abutments * 5-2.3 Piles * 5-2.4 Cells, Cofferdams, and Bulkheads * SECTION 3. SPECIAL TESTING, LEVEL III INSPECTION * 5-3.1 General * 5-3.2 Steel * 5-3.3 Concrete * 5- 3.4 Timber * CHAPTER VI SCOUR INVESTIGATIONS * SECTION 1. BACKGROUND * SECTION 2. BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS OF SCOUR * 6- 2.1 General * 6-2.2 Total Scour * SECTION 3. SCOUR INSPECTIONS * 6-3.1 General * 6-3.2 Office Review * 6-3.3 Site Observation * SECTION 4. SOUNDINGS * 6-4.1 Equipment * 6-4.2 Data Presentation * SECTION 5. DIVER INSPECTION * 6-5.1 Visual Inspection * 6-5.2 Tools * SECTION 6. GEOPHYSICAL INSPECTION * 6-6.1 Ground Penetrating Radar * 6- 6.2 Tuned Transducer * CHAPTER VII INSPECTION REPORTS * SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION * 7- 1.1 General * 7-1.2 National Bridge Inventory Reporting * 7-1.3 Element Level Inspections * 7-1.4 Detailed Inspection Reports * SECTION 2. RECORDING INSPECTION NOTES