Opened in 1973, bridge underwent $70 million seismic retrofit in 2012
Auburn, Calif. – The Foresthill Bridge will soon undergo ultrasonic testing of 282 weld points as part of a national effort to provide preventative maintenance and quality assurance to bridges built with a similar type of steel.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors took action Tuesday to approve a combined $6.3 million in contracts – funded 80% with federal funds from the Federal Highway Bridge Program and 20 percent by California’s SB1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account funds.
Like many bridges, Foresthill’s butt welds – welds that have two plates of steel joined together – were constructed with a steel known as T-1. Recently, there was a bridge in Ohio where inspectors closed a bridge due to a suspected issue with T-1 steel. That bridge inspection prompted the Federal Highway Administration to launch a program to ensure bridge safety across the country on similar bridges.
Bridge to remain open during testing
“This is a non-destructive inspection that really is a quality assurance measure,” said Placer County Department of Public Works Deputy Director Matt Randall. “Foresthill Bridge is safe and will remain open during the process.”
During the inspection, a contractor will use an under-bridge inspection truck – sometimes known as a “snooper truck” — or temporary scaffolding to access the 282 butt-weld locations, remove paint and perform the ultrasonic testing.
Data from the inspection will be provided to the Caltrans Material Engineering and Testing Services Division for quality assurance analysis.
Testing results will include acceptance or rejection of welds, and a final report will be submitted to Caltrans. Repairs, if necessary, could be made as simply as drilling holes in the vicinity of a deficient portion of a weld, or could require the preparation of a construction plan for a connection retrofit, which would be prepared under a separate competitive construction bid.
Inspection work is slated to begin later this summer, and continue through Spring of 2025.
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