The term ‘Bridge Inspections’ sounds like Bridge inspectors visually reviewing the current condition of the bridge in detail. For the most part, these inspectors can do this either by standing directly in front of the itssubstructure and looking at it or by using a RVI or Remote Visual Inspectiontool. It can be a drone or sensors that provide information to the bridge inspectors remotely. Here, the bridge inspectors need to follow the SNBI Standards to ensure the safety, sustainability, and resilience of the bridge.

In general, SNBI stands for ‘Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory.’These SNBI standards are a set of rules, levels, or grades established by the Federal Highway Administration or FHWA. Here, FHWA outlines the data points and reporting procedures for bridge inspections in the United States.

Moreover, SNBI standards, or ‘Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory, ‘ are the future of bridge inspection as these standards provide a more comprehensive and data-driven approach than ever for bridge inspection. These standards or sets of rules assist in assessing bridge conditions, enabling better risk-based management with improved data quality and accurate reporting on bridge safety. For the most part, SNBI standards incorporate detailed element-level data for a more meticulous understanding of bridge health compared to the older standards.

Why SNBI standards are considered the future of bridge inspection?

To ensure transportation connectivity with a secure and safe network of roads, it is important to mandate SNBI Standards. Some of the key reasons SNBI Standards will frame the future of Bridge inspection are as follows:

• Enhanced and Detailed Data Collection— SNBI needs to record data at the segment. This means that each component of a bridge is assessed separately. With such rules, SNBI allows for more precise and detailed identification of potential problems and targeted maintenance.
• Risk-Based Management Approach— The SNBI standards facilitate risk-based inspections. This enables the bridge inspectors to prioritize inspections based on a number of factors like bridge age, volume of the traffic, and identified issues. For the most part, it leads to an efficient resource allocation.
• Improved Data Quality— SNBI covers clear and standardized data collection procedures. In particular, it ensures consistent reporting and assists bridge inspectors in comparing the bridge conditions across different locations more efficiently than ever.
• Integration with National Bridge Inventory or NBI— For this purpose, SNBI is directly incorporated into the NBI or National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), making them the mandatory standard for bridge inspections in the United States. This provides a central repository of comprehensive bridge data. With such capabilities, bridge inspectors can better monitor and analyze bridge conditions nationwide.
• Advanced Analysis— With detailed data available in SNBI standards, engineers can make the most of sophisticated analytical tools to predict future bridge performance and address potential issues profoundly.
• Technology Compatibility— SNBI standards are quintessentially designed to be compatible with modern and advanced inspection technologies like drones and advanced imaging systems. This enables bridge inspectors to do more thorough and efficient bridge inspections than before.

Future Developments: SNBI Standards and Bridge Inspection In a nutshell, The SNBI standards include data items and specifications that provide an improved ability to assess and monitor bridge safety. Also, it helps follow compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards.

In addition, it has come up with new and expanded items and codes to support the administration of risk-based data-driven asset and performance management approaches.

To be future-ready with an effective bridge inspection system, FHWA will provide additional resources as outlined in the timeline to assist Agencies in transitioning to the SNBI along with the general guidelines.

On a Conclusive Note,

The SNBI standards will significantly streamline the submittal, review, and acceptance process. For the most part, it will enable additional data validation across the two datasets to reduce errors and improve data quality.

In addition, the aim is to create an effective system that requires data to be uploaded only once, for both data validation and submittal. SNBI standards would readily help elevate and standardize the bridge inspection and ensure a robust bridge management system. Above all, bridges that are lifelines connecting the nation should be monitored and inspected following the SNBI standards to ensure public safety as well.

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