Assessing, Coding, and Marking of Highway Structures in Emergency Situations, Volume 1: Research Overview (2016)

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3 C H A P T E R 1 1.1 Background and Problem Statement Several state departments of transportation (DOTs) have adopted processes for the assessing, coding, and marking of highway structures in the event of emergencies resulting from natural or man-made disasters. However, these processes do not provide uniform means for conducting these assessments or a common form of coding and marking. Also, these processes do not gener- ally address the different highway structure types or the range of traffic levels. In addition, many of these processes do not explicitly consider the practices of other organizations that often respond to such emergencies with assistance. These issues tend to impede the effectiveness of involved organizations in dealing with these situations and may lead to undesirable consequences. The assessing, coding, and marking of highway structures are necessary for ensuring safety in the event of emergencies. However, there is a need for employing uniform processes for con- ducting these assessments and guidelines for coding and marking. A widely accepted process is not currently available; this project was conducted to develop a process for assessing highway structures and guidelines for related coding and marking that can be recognized and adopted by highway agencies and all other organizations that respond to such emergencies. This information will help highway agencies and these organizations deal more effectively with the situation and provide a safer condition for the public. 1.2 Research Objective The primary objectives of this project were to develop the following: • A process for assessing highway structures in emergency situations • Guidelines for coding and marking • Selected training and implementation material The materials developed to satisfy these objectives were prepared as stand-alone products to help facilitate acceptance and adoption by AASHTO and other organizations generally respond- ing to emergency situations affecting highway structures. 1.3 Research Scope and Approach The research was divided into two phases. The first phase focused on acquiring background information. The second phase consisted of developing the assessment process and materials to support the implementation. The initial phase of this project focused on identifying and recommending assessment, coding, and marking methodologies that can be practically implemented by today’s transportation and Introduction

4 Assessing, Coding, and Marking of Highway Structures in Emergency Situations: Research Overview other emergency response agencies. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to research common hazards, critical highway structures, inspection technologies, emergency management and response, assessment procedures, and coding and marking practices. Specific hazards con- sidered include earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, hurricanes, storm surge, high winds, flooding, scour, and fire. Highway structures considered include bridges, tunnels, culverts, walls, embank- ments, and overhead signs. While the focus was on practices related to highway structures, the research team also considered practices for non-highway structures such as buildings that were relevant. Only citable, publicly accessible material was included in this literature review. Simultaneous with the literature review, a questionnaire was distributed from February 24 to April 3, 2014, to the current membership of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Bridges and Struc- tures, Subcommittee on Maintenance, and Special Committee on Transportation Security and Emergency Management. This questionnaire enabled the team to obtain current DOT proce- dural manuals that are difficult to find via conventional means. It was also helpful in obtaining information on current practices and capabilities. From these efforts, the team was able to identify and evaluate appropriate practices and tech- nologies relevant to assessing, coding, and marking highway structures in emergency situations. After this evaluation, the research team recommended methods that could be used in a process for rapid assessment of highway structures in emergency situations appropriate for nationwide adoption. Following successful completion of the first phase, the research team utilized this information in the second phase as follows: • To develop a process for assessing highway structures, including identifying which technolo- gies are appropriate for specific structure types, prioritization, coordination, communication, and redundancy. This process has a multi-tiered, priority-based approach so that personnel with varying levels of expertise will be able to use them. • To write guidelines suitable for adoption by AASHTO for the coding and marking of highway structures. • To prepare high-impact training programs and supporting materials to ensure the effective implementation of the assessment process and guidelines. At the final stages of the research project following NCHRP review and approval, a special workshop was convened with representatives from nearly 25 state highway agencies (SHAs) who serve on AASHTO committees. The objective of this workshop was to facilitate the implemen- tation of the research by informing the attendees of the project’s products as well as to identify next steps to facilitate AASHTO adoption. Feedback from the attendees of the workshop was also incorporated in the final products to the extent possible. 1.4 Organization of the Report and Associated Products NCHRP Research Report 833 comprises three volumes. This volume provides background infor- mation on the assessing, coding, and marking of highways structures. It also provides a brief over- view of the process, supporting manuals, and training materials, which are available as separate volumes and products. This volume is divided into the following chapters: • Chapter 2 presents a concise summary of the state of the art and state of the practice for the assess- ing, coding, and marking practices determined through a literature search and questionnaire. • Chapter 3 evaluates current and emerging assessment techniques as well as coding and marking practices. • Chapter 4 provides an overview of Volume 2: Assessment Process Manual, which is meant to support management in overseeing the assessment process.

Introduction 5 • Chapter 5 contains an overview of Volume 3: Coding and Marking Guidelines. The coding and marking guidelines were developed for the Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) responders (PDARs). • Chapter 6 presents an overview of NCHRP Web-Only Document 223: Guidelines for Devel- opment of Smart Apps for Assessing, Coding, and Marking Highway Structures in Emergency Situations. • Chapter 7 introduces the various types of training materials and products available through this project. • Chapter 8 presents an implementation plan, describing effective approaches to integrating this process into an organization. • Chapter 9 presents conclusions and an outlook on the future in emergency assessments. The main text is followed by references, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, and a glossary. Volumes 2 and 3 are bound separately: • Volume 2: Assessment Process Manual—This volume describes the assessment process in detail, particularly the planning and preparation phase. It is meant for managers who will be overseeing the emergency response. • Volume 3: Coding and Marking Guidelines—This volume is meant as a field manual for PDARs who will be evaluating the highway structures. Additionally, several associated products are available on the TRB website (www.trb.org) by searching for “NCHRP Research Report 833”. A brief description of each follows: • NCHRP Web-Only Document 223: Guidelines for Development of Smart Apps for Assessing, Coding, and Marking Highway Structures in Emergency Situations—This document is provided to facili- tate communication with information technology (IT) staff on how to create applications (apps) for mobile devices to help with the assessment process. • Preliminary Damage Assessment Forms—Microsoft® Word™ files containing the assessment forms for each structure type as well as full-size pages. • Training Materials—Several forms of training materials for four workshops were produced, including Microsoft PowerPoint™ modules with instructor’s notes. The four workshops are as follows: – General Training—A 1-hour presentation that provides general background and high-level key points for the project. This is meant for a general audience who will be interfacing with those involved in the assessment process but will not be heavily involved. – Basic PDAR Training—Several PowerPoint modules meant for training PDARs. – Specialized Managing Engineer Training—Several PowerPoint modules to help train manag- ing engineers who will oversee the assessment process. – PDAR Quick Refresher—A simplified 30-minute version of the training for the most impor- tant procedures related to PDA that can be given immediately prior to sending PDARs in the field.