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Bridge Maintenance and Inspection

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A staff of engineers, technologists and field staff ensure the upkeep and safety of the many structures currently existing in the City of Winnipeg.

Bridge Operations Branch staff is on-call 7 days a week in order to be able to respond to any emergency situations which may arise dealing with structures.  They have extensive training in all areas of bridge inspection and maintenance as well as workplace safety.

Staff is assisted in performing their tasks with the latest equipment and computer technology available.  The Underbridge Crane is invaluable for the inspection of the underside of bridges and overpasses.  Early detection of problems is absolutely essential.  The first sign of a problem may not necessarily appear on the surface of the deck.  Being able to inspect the underside of a structure is invaluable in locating problems early and initiating repair.  With its articulating arms, the Underbridge Crane allows for close up inspection of the underside of structures.

Inspections of structures are on-going year round. Constant vigilance is a necessity to ensure up to date knowledge of structure condition.

A computer program – “Bridge Manager” - jointly developed with several agencies across Western Canada is used chiefly for inventory control and inspection of structures. The program is made of a number of modules -  Inventory; Inspection; Analysis; Reports; and Links.  It contains a record of all structures.  It contains a record of inspections carried out on all structures. It contains photographic images of structures.  It enables reports to be produced on the content, as selected by bridge staff.  And, through the Analysis module, reports can be generated on the structure condition, optimum rehabilitation programs based on current and optimum budgets.

A Records and Information Management (R.I.M.) System stores all structure drawings and records in digital format.  Over a period of several years, bridge drawings dating back to the early part of the 20^th Century have been digitized and are stored in the R.I.M. System for ease of retrieval and use.  All bridge staff have access availability on their desktop/laptop computers.

The Bridge Operations Branch “field crew” is an invaluable asset for responding to and addressing minor problems which may develop on structures and which need to be corrected immediately.  They are also instrumental in the maintenance of Roadside Safety devices.

UB-50 Underbridge Crane

Last update: 03.09.2008

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