WEBVTT 00:01.179 --> 00:03.460 High above the Chesapeake and Delaware 00:03.470 --> 00:05.480 Canal . Engineers with the US Army 00:05.489 --> 00:08.100 Corps of engineers load into lifts and 00:08.109 --> 00:10.165 other specialized equipment to get a 00:10.165 --> 00:12.053 close look at the Chesapeake City 00:12.053 --> 00:14.387 Bridge on the approach , they have five . 00:14.979 --> 00:17.329 The Philadelphia district is a center 00:17.360 --> 00:19.527 of expertise for bridge inspection and 00:19.527 --> 00:21.304 evaluation within their area of 00:21.304 --> 00:23.304 responsibility alone . They have 11 00:23.304 --> 00:25.520 bridges to look after including five 00:25.530 --> 00:28.110 high span bridges . Every two years . 00:28.120 --> 00:30.350 We do an inspection on our five highway 00:30.360 --> 00:32.650 bridges of which we have 150,000 00:32.659 --> 00:36.540 crossings a day . The engineers 00:36.549 --> 00:38.970 look above and below the bridge to see 00:38.979 --> 00:40.868 if there are any issues that need 00:40.868 --> 00:42.979 attention . You're gonna have a floor 00:42.979 --> 00:45.709 at each panel point . We uh go on the , 00:45.720 --> 00:48.419 on the bridge inspection vehicle and so 00:48.430 --> 00:50.689 that way we can go underneath and have 00:50.700 --> 00:53.040 an arms length inspection of all the 00:53.069 --> 00:56.250 steel members . We use uh 00:56.340 --> 00:58.919 cameras , uh a hammer if there are any 00:58.930 --> 01:02.119 corrosion and uh we take photos and 01:02.130 --> 01:04.352 notes of all the deficiencies on the on 01:04.352 --> 01:07.839 the steel . If the inspectors find an 01:07.849 --> 01:09.627 issue , they begin to work on a 01:09.627 --> 01:11.571 maintenance plan . So based on the 01:11.571 --> 01:13.682 findings on the inspection , we can , 01:13.682 --> 01:15.905 if there are any repairs needed for the 01:15.905 --> 01:19.540 bridge , we can create plans and 01:19.550 --> 01:22.970 specs and then have future 01:22.980 --> 01:25.419 contracts do the repairs on the bridge . 01:25.470 --> 01:27.692 It's through inspections like this that 01:27.692 --> 01:31.330 lead to maintenance like this . An 18 01:31.339 --> 01:34.470 month $45.8 million overhaul to the ST 01:34.480 --> 01:36.536 George's bridge in Delaware which is 01:36.536 --> 01:38.536 replacing the bridge decking median 01:38.536 --> 01:40.536 barrier as well as replacing bridge 01:40.536 --> 01:42.313 approaches and other structural 01:42.313 --> 01:45.519 features . The work the engineers do 01:45.529 --> 01:47.550 here also stretches beyond the 01:47.559 --> 01:49.699 Philadelphia District . As the center 01:49.709 --> 01:51.849 of expertise , they work with other 01:51.860 --> 01:54.089 districts to train their engineers as 01:54.099 --> 01:56.043 well as perform bridge inspections 01:56.043 --> 01:58.210 within the other districts borders Los 01:58.210 --> 02:00.377 Angeles district structural engineer , 02:00.377 --> 02:02.599 Leonard Tran is on site working closely 02:02.599 --> 02:04.710 with his Philadelphia counterparts to 02:04.710 --> 02:06.988 expand his bridge inspection knowledge . 02:06.988 --> 02:08.877 These bridges right here are very 02:08.877 --> 02:10.988 unique and then we don't have that in 02:10.988 --> 02:13.043 our district . So to be an effective 02:13.043 --> 02:15.377 team lead for my district in the future , 02:15.377 --> 02:17.432 I would like to gain more experience 02:17.432 --> 02:17.270 working on more variety of different 02:17.279 --> 02:20.550 bridges around the country . Also be 02:20.559 --> 02:22.503 taking his newly learned knowledge 02:22.503 --> 02:24.615 overseas when he deploys as part of a 02:24.615 --> 02:26.837 Ford engineering support team . I guess 02:26.837 --> 02:28.837 the purpose of going to this bridge 02:28.837 --> 02:30.726 inspection program is not only to 02:30.726 --> 02:32.781 benefit the airway district but also 02:32.781 --> 02:35.529 benefit my fest team as we are supposed 02:35.539 --> 02:38.759 to deploy in a few months . So I want 02:38.770 --> 02:41.699 my orders to inspect the bridges in 02:41.710 --> 02:43.869 Europe . Engineers say it can be a 02:43.880 --> 02:45.880 little disconcerting the first time 02:45.880 --> 02:48.102 they perform one of these inspections . 02:48.102 --> 02:50.213 But after a while , it becomes second 02:50.213 --> 02:52.324 nature at first , it's a little nerve 02:52.324 --> 02:54.491 wracking , but you kind of get used to 02:54.491 --> 02:53.699 it after a while . Yeah , it's not too 02:53.710 --> 02:55.766 bad . It's definitely high out , but 02:55.766 --> 02:57.766 you get a nice view out of it . The 02:57.766 --> 02:59.988 ultimate goal of the inspection program 02:59.988 --> 03:01.821 is to keep these vital pieces of 03:01.821 --> 03:03.877 infrastructure throughout the nation 03:03.877 --> 03:05.960 safe for all who use them . So these 03:05.970 --> 03:08.137 inspections are very important because 03:08.137 --> 03:10.248 it's the chief of engineers , highest 03:10.248 --> 03:12.192 priorities as well as mine is life 03:12.192 --> 03:13.748 safety . Well , it is a big 03:13.748 --> 03:15.581 responsibility because uh we are 03:15.581 --> 03:17.414 inspecting this bridge here that 03:17.414 --> 03:19.580 thousands of people drive over every 03:19.589 --> 03:23.089 day and we are uh taking care of their , 03:23.210 --> 03:25.099 their life from Chesapeake City , 03:25.099 --> 03:26.259 Maryland , Patrick Bloodgood .