Submission ID 103337
Session Title | ST - Transportation Structures |
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Title | Optimizing Municipal Structures Inspections |
Abstract or description | The majority of Ontario’s municipal bridges and culverts that were built in the 1950s and 1960s are quickly approaching the end of their design life. Without the necessary funding, the declining condition of these assets can result in structures with compromised safety and increased maintenance and rehabilitation costs. Municipalities of all sizes are affected by this underinvestment and are required to do more with less to address a $19.1B deficit. In 1985, Ontario emerged as a leader in bridge safety with the introduction of the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM), which standardized detailed visual inspections for all structures over three (3) meters in length. OSIM has been updated on several occasions, most recently in 2018. The paper focuses on advancements in international best practices and decades of insight and knowledge gained through evaluating thousands of structures that can be used to optimize the OSIM process.
The result of this effort, if adopted in the next OSIM edition, would reform the way OSIM inspections are carried out, reestablish Ontario as a leader in the sector, and provide greater detail and clarity on the condition and safety of structures, allowing for better asset management planning, resulting in the savings of millions of dollars. |
Presentation Description (for Conference App) | |
Presenter and/or Author Information | Clayton Watters, Other John Stephenson, Other James Smith, Ontario Good Roads Association |