§ 232 — Uniform code of bridge inspection

§ 232. Uniform code of bridge inspection. 1. Code development; rules\nand regulations. The commissioner shall, after public hearing,\npromulgate a uniform code of bridge inspection, hereinafter referred to\nas the "code", by rule and regulation which shall be known as the\nuniform code of bridge inspection which shall, in all cases meet or\nexceed applicable federal law. The commissioner shall periodically\nreview the code to ensure that it effectuates the purposes of this\nsection. For the purpose of this section the term "bridge" shall refer\nonly to bridges publicly-owned, operated or maintained as defined in\nsection two hundred thirty of this article.\n 2. Periodic inspections. Any bridge publicly-owned, operated or\nmaintained shall be inspected at least once every two years in\naccordance with the provisions of the code and shall be further\ninspected and/or evaluated at such other times as may be required\ntherein. The code shall also set forth requirements for the interim\ninspections or evaluations and the scope of such inspections or\nevaluations where the structural integrity of a bridge is or has been\nthreatened by a storm, flood, natural phenomenon, accident or manmade\noccurrence; where a bridge has known deficiencies; and where a bridge is\nposted for weight limits less than that which is legal on the highway\nleading to or from the bridge.\n 3. Minimum code requirements. The uniform code of bridge inspection\nshall require, but not be limited to, the following:\n (a) provisions that all bridge inspections shall include a review of\nthe most recent inspection report and, to the extent available and\nretrievable in the normal course of business and consistent with public\nsafety, the most recent structural integrity evaluation, an examination\nof the design, as-built plans, contract documents, history of\nconstruction including any history of strucutural alterations, repairs,\nrehabilitation or maintenance;\n (b) provisions for the establishment of a rating system keyed to the\nstructural integrity and safety of the bridge;\n (c) provisions that any aspect of a bridge that is not inspected at\nthe time of the inspection or is determined by the supervising engineer\nto be uninspectable, shall be inspected as to its condition as soon\nthereafter as such aspect becomes inspectable provided, however, if\njudged to be permanently uninspectable such status and condition shall\nbe noted;\n (d) procedures for all underwater inspections;\n (e) criteria and guidelines for approved scour indicator systems where\na bridge has foundations subject to scour; and\n (f) procedures for the temporary closing of a bridge and the\nnotification of the commissioner.\n 4. Structural integrity evaluation. (a) The code shall establish\nrequirements for performing bridge structural and foundation system\nevaluations in conjunction with an inspection. The criteria for the need\nand frequency for these evaluations, which shall be referred to as a\nstructural integrity, shall be keyed to the structural integrity and\nsafety rating system required by the code. The code shall also provide\nfor the scope and contents of such evaluations. Where applicable to the\ndetermination of structural integrity, these evaluations shall include\nan analysis of:\n (i) where available and retrievable in the normal course of business\nand consistent with public safety, the design, design as-built plans,\ncontract documents, and history of construction, structural alterations,\nrehabilitation, and maintenance repairs;\n (ii) code changes since the time of original design;\n (iii) the live load capacity rating in accordance with current\nspecifications and/or accepted engineering practice and accounting for\nchanges in volume and character of traffic;\n (iv) the effect of relevant stream changes regarding water crossings;\n (v) deterioration and modification to the original structure; and\n (vi) a life cycle projection of the scope and estimated cost of\nmaintenance, repair, and/or rehabilitation in order to provide criteria\nfor comprehensive bridge management and safety.\n (b) Each structural integrity evaluation performed in accordance with\nby paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall also include a ten year life\ncycle projection, the purpose of which is to estimate the scope and cost\nof maintenance, repair and rehabilitation in order to provide criteria\nfor comprehensive bridge management and safety.\n 5. Inspections and inspection reports. (a) All bridges shall be\ninspected and evaluated by licensed professional engineers or by any\nother person who is under the direct supervision of such an engineer\nproviding such engineer is present at the time of inspection and\nevaluation. Any such engineer who shall either perform or supervise an\ninspection or evaluation shall be referred to as the inspecting engineer\nand shall meet the qualifications for previous bridge design,\nconstruction or inspection experience as prescribed by the commissioner.\nAll inspections and evaluations shall be reported on forms prescribed by\nthe commissioner, subscribed by the inspecting engineer and filed with\nthe commissioner within sixty days of the completion of the inspection\nor evaluation. The commissioner may accept for filing a copy of any\nincomplete inspection or evaluation report but shall also return any\nsuch report to the inspecting engineer for completion at a time\nestablished by the commissioner but in no case shall such time exceed\nsixty days.\n (b) Within sixty days of the effective date of this section, every\npublic entity shall file with the commissioner, for the purposes of\nestablishing and maintaining the bridge data base as set forth in\nsection two hundred thirty-one of this article, the most recent\ninspection report for bridges conducted prior to such effective date.\n 6. Maintenance guidelines. The commissioner shall establish by rule\nand regulation criteria for the furnishing of written maintenance\nguidelines to the owner of a bridge by the design engineer responsible\nfor either the construction or substantial structural alteration,\nrepairs, or rehabilitation of a bridge upon completion of such\nconstruction or rehabilitation. This provision shall apply to every\nbridge construction alteration, repair, or rehabilitation contracted for\non or after the first day of January, nineteen hundred ninety.\n