2020 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.