According to the officials, based on the routine or detailed inspections, the regional office in consultation with the concerned division, may formulate an annual programme for detailed examinations of specific structures and plans for their repair, rehabilitation or replacement. As per the circular, routine inspection is to be undertaken at least once in year and preferably twice a year; before and after monsoon in hilly terrain.Principal or detailed inspection will be carried out before the opening to traffic, at the end of Defect Liability Period (DLP) or at a three year interval.DLP refers to a predetermined period after a bridge construction project is completed during which the contractor is obligated to rectify any defects. Emergent or special inspection will take place in the event of unusual occurrence. The fourth type of inspection mentioned in the circular is underwater inspection.It is similar to a principal or detailed inspection of structures that remain submerged during a severe flood. The inspection is to ascertain the scour depth at a five-six-year interval. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in April, launched a ranking mechanism to rate its infrastructure assets to determine their structural safety and also look for remedial measures for their upkeep and regular monitoring.The new arrangement named –Bridge Inventory and Condition Rating System (BICRS) — mandates comprehensive documentation, assessment and also inspection of bridges twice a year.As part of the rating system, the agency aims to prepare a unified repository of all its structures, and each property will be assigned a union assessment identification number.
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