Not your typical 9-to-5 job
By Eric Widholm typical trip to Oregon for Ayres Associates’
A structural inspectors is not easy.
A two-person crew( lead inspector and an assistant inspector) usually inspects the structures in geographic groups during five or six trips made each year. The number of inspections performed each day depends on size, complexity, condition, and location of the structures. Inspectors work 10- to 12-hour days and six- to seven-day weeks on trips that can last two or three weeks at a time.
Proper scheduling of inspections is a timeconsuming task but is invaluable when fieldwork begins, said Rick Maslyn, supervisor of Ayres Associates’ structural inspection group. The yearly inspection schedule is mapped out beforehand, categorized by the month the bridge is to be inspected, and then further broken down to specific days. Inspections must be completed in a compressed time frame outside of the state’ s rainy season, which generally runs from November to May, leaving just a handful of summer and fall months to complete the work.
“ The follow-up reporting also takes many hours and is just as important as the actual field inspection,” Maslyn said.“ Besides being a federal and state requirement, these reports are the basis of the bridge owners’ work plan for upcoming years.”
Crews are on the move from before sunrise to early evening in a company truck using a GPS-enabled
laptop to locate bridge sites. They inspect as many bridges as possible in a day. Inspections can be more timeconsuming when special access equipment is needed, such as an under bridge inspection vehicle with an extendable arm and bucket used to access the underside of high-level bridges or rope climbing to reach higher places.
Safety is paramount in all inspections – no matter how large or small the bridge, Maslyn said. Inspectors need to always be aware of their surroundings and be prepared, he said,“ and you can never be too careful.”
Inspectors often encounter steep slopes or slippery conditions. Thorny wild berries and poison oak are common around most bridges in the four counties comprising Ayres Associates’ inspection area. Each day starts with a“ tailgate” safety meeting to discuss known hazards and potential hazards identified and mitigated during the preparation stage.
“ Ayres Associates takes pride in the work we do out here, like we do for all our inspections nationwide,” Maslyn said.“ And it’ s always a comfort to know that your clients – like the Oregon DOT – put as much passion and dedication into their work as you do to ensure structures are safe for motorists and others who use them.”
From upper left: Inspectors use a GPS-enabled laptop to schedule and locate structures. Safety is the top priority for inspections. A few obstacles inspectors encounter include prickly wild berries, poison oak, and barbed-wire. Traffic control also is crucial with the many vehicles frequenting some areas.
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