Posts by Dominic Emory
Comprehensive NDE of Bridge Pile Caps
BDI partnered with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to investigate deterioration affecting the Varina-Enon Bridge, which carries I-295 over the James River between Chesterfield and Henrico Counties, Virginia. During routine inspections, VDOT identified cracking and distress in multiple structural elements, including the bridge’s cast-in-place concrete pile caps. To identify the causes of deterioration and…
Read MoreSubsurface As-Built Verification for Solar Field
BDI was contracted by Delta Oaks Group (DOG), Environmental Resources Management (ERM), and Dominion Energy to investigate a former landfill in Montrose, Virginia. The project team needed to better understand the extent and depth of a landfill cover that had been installed in 1978, despite the absence of historical construction records, site plans, or geotechnical…
Read MoreRapid Automated Deck Evaluation of Arkansas Bridges
BDI partnered with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) to perform a comprehensive nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of bridge decks within the I-30, I-440, and I-530 interchange in Little Rock, Arkansas. The project aimed to identify and map deck deterioration, providing a detailed assessment of overall bridge deck condition. To perform a full bridge deck evaluation…
Read MoreRapid Evaluation of 18 Miles of Bridge Decks
BDI partnered with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) to perform a comprehensive nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of four major I-10 bridge structures spanning the Reserve Relief Canal and Lake Pontchartrain. Covering approximately 18 miles of bridge deck, the project presented a unique inspection challenge that was efficiently addressed using BDI’s vehicle-mounted testing technologies.…
Read MoreNondestructive Evaluation of Trunnion Pins on Jacksonville’s Main Street Bridge
BDI was engaged to evaluate the condition of the trunnion assemblies on the John T. Alsop Bridge (Main Street Bridge) in Jacksonville, Florida. The bridge’s 365-foot vertical lift span relies on four trunnion shaft systems to support the massive sheaves that transfer loads between the lift span and its counterweights, making these components essential to…
Read MoreRadiographic Steel Weld Testing for Machinery House
AmerCom engaged BDI to evaluate the integrity of structural steel welds fabricated for the Wittpenn Bridge machinery house. Although fabricators had completed visual inspections, they applied a Firetex intumescent coating ranging from approximately 5/16 inch to 1 inch thick before performing any nondestructive weld testing. The coating made many conventional NDE methods impractical or ineffective…
Read MoreUltrasonic Testing Supports Steel Bridge Connection
BDI partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to perform advanced nondestructive testing (NDT) on critical steel bridge connections at multiple bridges across the United States. The project aimed to identify cracking, weld defects, and other internal flaws within steel connection components to support informed maintenance and repair decisions. BDI evaluated steel connections…
Read MoreNondestructive Evaluation of Concrete Bulkheads at Allatoona Lake Dam
BDI was engaged by the owner of the Allatoona Lake Dam near Cartersville, Georgia, to evaluate the condition of two concrete bulkheads located on the dam’s downstream side. These bulkheads provide the potential for future hydroelectric capacity expansion, making their condition an important factor in long-term asset management and infrastructure planning. To assess the structures,…
Read MoreFracture Critical Bridge Inspection and NDE
BDI partnered with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to evaluate critical structural components of the US 50A bridges over Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison, Colorado. Built in 1963, these multi-span bridges feature fracture-critical T1 steel girders and suspended spans supported by pin-and-hanger assemblies. After routine inspections identified cracking in weld splice locations on the…
Read MoreEmergency Evaluation of Seattle’s West Seattle High Bridge
When rapid crack growth forced the closure of the West Seattle High Bridge in 2020, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) engaged BDI to evaluate the structure and support repair efforts. As the primary connection between West Seattle and the rest of the city, the bridge carries significant traffic volumes and serves as a critical…
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