helping the County budget its spending on bridge repairs ; reviewing bridges for scour ; and providing emergency inspection services . “ Ayres is really good at giving a clear scope and fees with no mistakes . This is a life-saver for me ,” Al-Rawashdeh said .
“ It is important to maintain a safe and reliable infrastructure for County residents , not just to construct new facilities ,” Sunna said . “ Performing repairs up front can save major costs down the road and gives the public confidence when traveling the roadways .”
One challenging aspect of the program is evaluating whether to recommend major repairs for a bridge that is on the replacement list , he said ; another is selecting reliable repair methods while implementing the newest proven technologies . Sunna attends many conferences to stay current with the latest products for bridge maintenance and repairs .
Hillsborough County bridges must contend with a lot of water – significant summer rain , two large rivers ( the Hillsborough River and Little Manatee River ), and Tampa Bay itself . That makes scour ( the removal of soil around bridge piles due to waterway flow ) an ongoing challenge . The FHWA cites bridge scour as the leading cause of bridge failures in the United States ( approximately 25 to 30 bridges per year ). Sunna has been involved with the Florida Department of Transportation ’ s bridge scour program since 1997 , providing structural assessment for bridge vulnerability to scour and recommending plans of action for structural and other countermeasures to protect bridges .
14 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .