The Midwest Bridge Working Group is a successful forum for the interchange of information between the participating state highway agencies (SHAs) on issues related to bridge inspection and maintenance. It continues to promote innovation and the exchange of information (i.e., best practices, surveys and research) between the principal parties. University researchers from the primary research institutions for those SHAs have participated in Working Group biannual meetings stimulating thought and encouraging the participating SHA officials to innovate. Involvement with private firms and consultants has provided additional paths for innovation. Since the formation of the Working Group, information exchange between SHA officials has increased. They have become more active in the Working Group’s semi-annual meetings, participating as presenters of technical topics at those meetings. To stimulate further interest, Working Group meetings have included field trips to bridges of historic or technical significance.

The Midwest Bridge Working Group has been supported over the past 10 years under a grant from the Northwestern University Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI). Without the generous support of ITI and its Director, Dave Schulz, this initiative could have not been undertaken nor sustained. The Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) and the University of Kentucky (UK) Civil Engineering Department continue their roles as facilitators of Working Group activities and as developers of venues for new innovation and information exchange including enhanced use of computer-based electronic media.

BACKGROUND

In December 1996, the Midwest Bridge Maintenance and Inspection (BMI) Working Group was formed to promote technical information interchange between state highway agencies (1). The University of Kentucky obtained a grant from the Northwestern University Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) and was charged with forming the group. The initial participating SHAs were the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Illinois DOT, the Indiana DOT, the Ohio DOT and the Wisconsin DOT. Representatives from the universities that provided research for those SHAs (University of Kentucky, University of Illinois, Purdue University, University of Cincinnati and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) have participated as speakers and attendees at Working Group meetings. Northwestern University/ITI researchers working on ITI-funded projects have also made presentations to the Working Group.

Over the past several years, the primary Working Group forum has been the Working Group biannual meetings. Those meetings are held in the winter and early spring when SHA officials are best able to attend. The first three Working Group meetings were held at the Indiana DOT offices in Indianapolis, IN. Thereafter, the decision was made to shift the meeting to various offices and universities of agencies/institutions participating in the Working Group. The primary reason for that change was to enhance the familiarity between the Working Group participants.

Beginning in 1998, the SHA officials became more involved in the meetings by selecting meeting topics and, subsequently, making brief presentations about their agency’s activities related to those topics at follow-up meetings. Topics for past meetings included bridge deck joints, reinforced concrete bridges, pin-and-hanger connections, post-earthquake bridge inspections, moveable bridges, bridge management systems, and fatigue-prone structural details.

In 1999, outside speakers were brought in from SHAs outside the Working Group. Another meeting format was employed whereby representatives of specific technical sector provided Working Group participants with a detailed overview of the state of practice within that sector. While this format will not be used extensively in the future, it provides a good mechanism for information transfer. At the Spring 1999 Working Group meeting in Green Bay, WI, a field trip was made to a bascule bridge (the Raymond Nitschke Bridge). The field trip was informative and periodically meetings have incorporated field trips when practical. Field trips have included the Eads Bridge (St. Louis, Wacker Drive rapid bridge replacement project (Chicago), the Chicago Skyway reconstruction (Chicago) and the Roebling Bridge (Cincinnati).

Over time, the Working Group meetings have become more effective. SHA officials are more comfortable with making presentations and more open in discussions of problems impacting their agencies. The SHA primary research universities have also provided representation at the meetings. At the third Working Group meeting in December 1998, university representatives (professors) presented their bridge-related research to the Working Group.

The Working Group extended the scope of participation at the biannual meetings in 1999. Representatives from private industry (including consultants) were specifically targeted and invited to attend the meetings as participants and speakers. Bridge engineers from urban areas and toll ways encompassed by the Working Group including the cities of Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee and the Illinois Tollway have attended Working Group meetings. Consulting firms have also actively participated in meetings making presentations and conducting field tours of bridges.

UK facilitators have worked to increase the visibility of the Working Group on a national basis. In January 2000, UK personnel made a presentation at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting on the Working Group entitled, “Creation of a Regional Working Group to Advance Practices Related to Bridge Maintenance and Inspection.” In February 2000, UK personnel made a similar presentation at the Structural Materials Technology IV An NDT Conference (2). Those presentations provided exposure to many SHA and FHWA officials who were previously unaware of the Working Group or its activities. Many of those persons expressed an interest in attending future Working Group functions. Additional presentations about the working group have been made at the International Bridge Conference, the Transportation Research Board Conference and the American Association for State and Transportation Officials Maintenance Management Meeting.

Several SHA and FHWA officials have expressed interest in forming similar regional working groups in other areas of the U.S. ITI and UK officials agreed to support the formation of new working groups. Interested SHA and FHWA officials are invited to participate in meetings and will be provided with assistance in forming working groups in their regions when requested.

A demonstration working group web page was created at the University of Kentucky Transportation Center. However, it is being supplanted by a more robust one at the ITI web site that will include a national clearinghouse for bridge maintenance information. It will provide updates on Working Group activities, minutes of past meetings, links to SHA web sites related to bridge maintenance (and other bridge maintenance links) and the provision for group discussion activities.

The Midwest Bridge Working Group was conceived to serve its primary clients, bridge inspection and maintenance personnel from state highway agencies. It is also benefiting elements of the transportation industry that serve the SHAs by providing them a forum for their materials, equipment and services. The Working Group will continue to serve its constituents and promote the advancement of bridge inspection and maintenance practice and technologies both regionally and nationally.

References

1. Goetz, M.R., “Use of the Internet to Facilitate Communication between State Highway Agencies and Universities in the Area of Bridge Maintenance and Inspection,” University of Kentucky, Civil Engineering Department, July 1997.

2. Hopwood, T. Hancher, D.E. and Palle, S., “Creation of a Regional Working Group to Address Bridge Maintenance and Inspection, “ Proceeding of the Structural Material Technology IV An NDT Conference, Sponsored by the New York Dept. of Trans. and the Federal Highway Administration, Atlantic City, NJ, Feb. 28-Mar. 3, 2000, pp. 11-14.

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