Bridge Preservation Action Team - Transpo Industries, Inc.

Bridge preservation focuses on activities performed on bridge elements or components that aim to prevent, delay, or reduce deterioration. These activitiesdo not entail structural or operational improvements of an existing bridge asset beyond its originally designed capacity.Transportation Officials (AASHTO)and other groups have begun to focustheir attention on this issue in order togain a greater understanding as to theshort and long-term benefits of effectivebridge preservation programs.The BPAT AgendaThe BPAT’s plan of work will addressthe industry’s perspective onbridge preservation. Activities willinclude the formulation of nationalpolicies on bridge preservation, creationof products including, best practiceguides and educational materials,and development of content for theInternational Bridge Conference andTransOvation. BPAT representativeswill also continue to serve asthe private-sector technical liaisons tothe Bridge Preservation Expert TaskGroup (BPETG), organized by FHWA,and the Transportation System PreservationTechnical Services Program(TSP-2), sponsored by AASHTO.The BPAT hopes to attract memberswith knowledge of the bridge industryand bridge preservation as wellas those with unique or specific areasof expertise. Industry experts will beasked to contribute to the creation ofeducational and informational tools intheir specific areas of knowledge. TheBPAT will be working to establish subcommitteesand work plans for variousbridge components that wouldqualify for preservation.Existing BPA members will becomeARTBA members. For more information,or to get involved with the BPAT,visit www.artbabridgecouncil.org orcontact ARTBA’s Vice President ofMember Services Allison Wenograd atawenograd@artba.org. Michael Stenko is the president of TranspoIndustries, Inc., and chair of the BPAT. Hecan be reached at mstenko@transpo.com.“By not making a concerted effort to preserve the conditionof this nation’s bridges, the number of bridges in pooror critical condition has and will continue to grow in thefuture. Many bridges in the nation’s inventory are in theneed of extensive and costly rehabilitation...”Siva Venugopalan is principal at SivaCorrosion Services, Inc., and co-chairof the BPAT. He can be reached atsiva@sivacorrosion.com.www.artba.orgTransportationBuilder May-June 2011 13