James Fisher Strainstall contributes to new bridge monitoring guidance with CIRIA.
James Fisher Strainstall has contributed to an influential new report, offering comprehensive guidance on hidden defect detection across a wide range of bridge types.
The guidance has been produced by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), in consultation with a number of leading industry figures, asset owners and key organisations, including JF Strainstall.
Published in early June, the guide collates a series of case studies demonstrating where hidden defects exist in critical bridge components. A number of the case studies featured in the guide are based on work carried out by JF Strainstall at various sites nationwide, including the Forth Road Bridge, the Severn Bridge, and the Hammersmith Flyover.
Drawing on these examples, the report offers comprehensive guidance on monitoring and maintaining bridge structures and provides methods to identify, investigate and manage many known hidden defects.
Matthew Anderson, global technical director at JF Strainstall contributed to the working group on the project. He said:
“This substantial guide represents the industry benchmark in hidden defect detection and I am pleased that JF Strainstall could offer its experience and technical expertise to the working group.
“JF Strainstall has developed some of the industry’s most advanced structural health monitoring tools, including our BridgeWatch® system, which can provide real-time data on the exact condition of the bridge structure.
"I am pleased that this data and our wider experiences have been able to inform this guide and potentially help to extend the operational lifespans of bridges across the UK and beyond.”
The importance of monitoring and preventative maintenance has been highlighted by a number of events in recent years, including the closure of the Hammersmith flyover for essential repairs and recent RAC research reported by the BBC, that concluded over 3,000 council-owned bridges across the UK are in a state of disrepair.
You can order a copy of the CIRIA guidance here.
