Engineering Inc. - September/October 2007 - 16

Harold Linnenkohl Commissioner Malcolm T. Kerley Chief Engineer Georgia Department Of Transportation Atlanta In light of the recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis, are you implementing, or do you recommend, any changes in your approach to aging infrastructure? Virginia Department Of Transportation Richmond, Va. In light of the recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis, are you implementing, or do you recommend, any changes regarding your approach to aging infrastructure? C onsidering the magnitude of this accident, it is understandable that the public expects those of us in the business of maintaining roads and bridges to take immediate action to prevent such a terrible tragedy from reoccurring. However, until we fully understand the cause of the bridge collapse, it would be imprudent to rush forward with any policy changes that might impede inspections already planned for some of Georgia’s 9,000 bridges. The Department has already reinspected the state’s two existing steel truss bridges and we are continuing with our normal inspections. As the investigation continues, we await any new information that will enable us to ensure the safety of the traveling public. t Steve Iselin Chief Engineer Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, D.C. How can the engineering community best meet your short- and long-term performance expectations? he Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) reacted quickly to the Minneapolis [bridge] collapse by partnering with the Federal Highway Administration to review our entire bridge inventory. We identified 12 deck-truss bridges among our 20,000 structures. VDOT is reinspecting 11 of these bridges to ensure there are no safety concerns. Work is already well under way to replace the twelfth bridge and the old deck-truss bridge is no longer carrying traffic. VDOT is also reviewing the inspection reports for our 305 fracturecritical bridges to identify any additional actions needed. By year’s end, we will complete a full review of our bridge safety inspection program. What’s more, VDOT created a new website—www.VirginiaDOT.org/ bridges—to provide a clearinghouse for the latest information about our bridges. t 16 he engineering community must focus on providing the best engineered solutions possible that incorporate quality while meeting LEED and Energy Policy Act of 2005 requirements. We look for them to partner with contractors to facilitate better understanding of these requirements and the essential working relationship that must exist between the contractor and the Architect of Record. We also would like to explore options for rotating some of Naval Facilities Engineering Command’s junior engineers through A/E firms. This would help us develop architects and engineers with experience to meet future staffing needs. ENGINEERING INC. sEptEmbER / oCtobER 2007

http://www.VirginiaDOT.org/

Engineering Inc. - September/October 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - September/October 2007