DENVER, CO — Stantec has been selected to provide bridge inspection services for three U.S. State Departments of Transportation: Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT). The work carried out by Stantec’s bridge inspection teams will use the latest technology and engineering methodology to ensure the bridges are safe for the traveling public and that they can continue to serve their communities.

The global demand for routine bridge inspections is set to quadruple from current levels to a market valuation of $6.3 billion by the end of 2029, according to research firm Fact.MR. The increased demand will be driven by aging infrastructure, damaging environmental conditions, and the wear and tear from increased traffic.

“Bridges connect our communities and help deliver the goods we rely on,” said Ryan Nataluk, Vice President of Infrastructure Inspection, Stantec. “They are among our most essential infrastructure assets — keeping them safe for users and in a state of good repair is a top priority.”

The bridge inspection team at Stantec will provide detailed inspections using industrial rope access, non-destructive testing, and drone technology with advanced camera, video, and sensor technology, among other methodologies. The firm will deploy experts and equipment from four different states to complete the inspections.

Stantec will be providing NDOT with over 2,000 bridge inspections in addition to load rating services. CDOT has asked Stantec for a statewide inspection of minor bridges (structures measuring less than 20 feet in total length), overhead signs, high-mast lights, and traffic signals. This evaluation work requires confined space access techniques and advanced, non-destructive testing of steel elements using magnetic particle and ultrasound methodologies. Work for NDDOT will include routine and fracture-critical bridge inspections, as well as load ratings for approximately 900 local public agency structures.

Inspections in North Dakota began in April and work for CDOT and NDOT will begin in the late summer of 2020. Contract durations range from two to five years.

“As everyone looks to stretch their infrastructure budgets, administrators and owners are realizing that it’s more cost-effective to invest in proactive preservation and rehabilitation,” Nataluk said. “New technologies and advanced techniques can help extend the life of infrastructure assets at a fraction of the cost of constructing a new asset.”

Stantec’s bridge team includes more than 500 bridge engineers and certified bridge inspectors within North America.