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52 APPENDIX A U.S. State Transportation Departments' Input on Federal Regulations Departments of transportation (DOTs) were asked to com- · Specific inspections: Routine intensity inspections at 24 ment on changes or improvements to inspection practice and months can supplement hands-on inspections at longer U.S. federal regulations for inspection programs. The most intervals. frequent responses were no input or the comment that exist- ing regulations are adequate. Other responses are listed here. Certification of Inspectors Bridge Routine Inspection Interval Three comments: Four comments by DOTs: · There should be no certification of inspectors. · The interval for routine inspection should be approxi- · Certification of inspectors should include testing of ap- mately two years, and might be better stated as inspec- plicants. tion of a bridge in every second calendar year. This · Certification should include an entry-level grade for in- would make inspection scheduling easier. spectors assigned to simple bridges only. · The interval for routine inspection of a bridge should be 24 months only. Culverts might be inspected at longer intervals. Quality Control and Quality Assurance · Inspectors should have the authority to set the interval Procedures to the next inspection of each bridge, but only to a max- imum interval of 24 months. Two points: · The combination of bridge complexity and inspector qualifications should determine a matrix of inspection · Procedures should be determined by state DOTs. intervals. · Formal requirements should be developed at the federal level. Fracture-Critical Inspection Interval Two comments, both proposing longer intervals for some Additional Comment on Regulations for fracture-critical inspections: Bridge Inspection · Specific bridges: A longer interval is appropriate for · DOTs indicate a need for a central source of infor- bridges on low-volume roads, bridges with a low vol- mation and discussion of federal regulations and its ume of truck traffic, and bridges that have low stresses. interpretation.