NY Hwy L § 232 (2021)
2021 New York Laws HAY - Highway Article 9 - Bridges 232 - Uniform Code of Bridge Inspection.

§  232.  Uniform code of bridge inspection. 1. Code development; rules and  regulations.  The  commissioner  shall,   after   public   hearing, promulgate  a uniform code of bridge inspection, hereinafter referred to as the "code", by rule and  regulation  which  shall  be  known  as  the uniform  code  of  bridge  inspection  which shall, in all cases meet or exceed applicable  federal  law.  The  commissioner  shall  periodically review  the  code  to  ensure  that  it effectuates the purposes of this section. For the purpose of this section the term "bridge"  shall  refer only  to  bridges  publicly-owned,  operated or maintained as defined in section two hundred thirty of this article.   2.  Periodic  inspections.  Any  bridge  publicly-owned,  operated  or maintained  shall  be  inspected  at  least  once  every  two  years  in accordance with  the  provisions  of  the  code  and  shall  be  further inspected  and/or  evaluated  at  such  other  times  as may be required therein. The code shall also set  forth  requirements  for  the  interim inspections  or  evaluations  and  the  scope  of  such  inspections  or evaluations where the structural integrity of a bridge is  or  has  been threatened  by  a  storm, flood, natural phenomenon, accident or manmade occurrence; where a bridge has known deficiencies; and where a bridge is posted for weight limits less than that which is legal  on  the  highway leading to or from the bridge.   3.  Minimum  code  requirements. The uniform code of bridge inspection shall require, but not be limited to, the following:  (a) provisions that all bridge inspections shall include a  review  of the  most  recent  inspection  report  and,  to the extent available and retrievable in the normal course of business and consistent with  public safety,  the most recent structural integrity evaluation, an examination of  the  design,  as-built  plans,  contract   documents,   history   of construction  including any history of strucutural alterations, repairs, rehabilitation or maintenance;  (b) provisions for the establishment of a rating system keyed  to  the structural integrity and safety of the bridge;  (c)  provisions  that  any aspect of a bridge that is not inspected at the time of the inspection or is determined by the supervising  engineer to  be  uninspectable,  shall  be  inspected as to its condition as soon thereafter as such aspect  becomes  inspectable  provided,  however,  if judged  to  be permanently uninspectable such status and condition shall be noted;  (d) procedures for all underwater inspections;  (e) criteria and guidelines for approved scour indicator systems where a bridge has foundations subject to scour; and  (f)  procedures  for  the  temporary  closing  of  a  bridge  and  the notification of the commissioner.   4.  Structural  integrity  evaluation.  (a)  The  code shall establish requirements for performing  bridge  structural  and  foundation  system evaluations in conjunction with an inspection. The criteria for the need and  frequency  for  these  evaluations, which shall be referred to as a structural integrity, shall be keyed to  the  structural  integrity  and safety  rating  system required by the code. The code shall also provide for the scope and contents of such evaluations. Where applicable to  the determination  of  structural integrity, these evaluations shall include an analysis of:  (i) where available and retrievable in the normal course  of  business and  consistent  with  public safety, the design, design as-built plans, contract documents, and history of construction, structural alterations, rehabilitation, and maintenance repairs;  (ii) code changes since the time of original design;  (iii) the  live  load  capacity  rating  in  accordance  with  current specifications  and/or  accepted engineering practice and accounting for changes in volume and character of traffic;  (iv) the effect of relevant stream changes regarding water crossings;  (v) deterioration and modification to the original structure; and  (vi)  a  life  cycle  projection  of  the  scope and estimated cost of maintenance, repair, and/or rehabilitation in order to provide  criteria for comprehensive bridge management and safety.  (b)  Each structural integrity evaluation performed in accordance with by paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall also include a ten year  life cycle projection, the purpose of which is to estimate the scope and cost of  maintenance,  repair and rehabilitation in order to provide criteria for comprehensive bridge management and safety.   5. Inspections and  inspection  reports.  (a)  All  bridges  shall  be inspected  and  evaluated  by  licensed professional engineers or by any other person who is under the direct supervision  of  such  an  engineer providing  such  engineer  is  present  at  the  time  of inspection and evaluation. Any such engineer who shall either perform or  supervise  an inspection or evaluation shall be referred to as the inspecting engineer and   shall   meet   the  qualifications  for  previous  bridge  design, construction or inspection experience as prescribed by the commissioner. All inspections and evaluations shall be reported on forms prescribed by the commissioner, subscribed by the inspecting engineer and  filed  with the  commissioner  within sixty days of the completion of the inspection or evaluation.  The commissioner may accept for filing  a  copy  of  any incomplete  inspection  or  evaluation  report but shall also return any such report  to  the  inspecting  engineer  for  completion  at  a  time established  by  the  commissioner but in no case shall such time exceed sixty days.  (b) Within sixty days of the effective date  of  this  section,  every public  entity  shall  file  with  the commissioner, for the purposes of establishing and maintaining the  bridge  data  base  as  set  forth  in section  two  hundred  thirty-one  of  this  article,  the  most  recent inspection report for bridges conducted prior to such effective date.   6. Maintenance guidelines. The commissioner shall  establish  by  rule and  regulation  criteria  for  the  furnishing  of  written maintenance guidelines to the owner of a bridge by the design  engineer  responsible for  either  the  construction  or  substantial  structural  alteration, repairs,  or  rehabilitation  of  a  bridge  upon  completion  of   such construction  or  rehabilitation.  This  provision  shall apply to every bridge construction alteration, repair, or rehabilitation contracted for on or after the first day of January, nineteen hundred ninety.