SDDOT Load Rating Permitting Todd Thompson PE

SDDOT –Load Rating & Permitting Todd Thompson, PE – Bridge Management Engineer

SDDOT – Bridge Organization • 1803 State Highway Bridges • Inspected by SDDOT region staff • Load Rated by SDDOT Bridge Office • 3974 Local Government Bridges • Inspected by consultants thru Local Transportation Program Office of SDDOT • Load Rated by consultants

SDDOT – State Highway Bridges • Bridge Load Rating History • One of first states to use BARS in early 1970’s, • Even before it was an AASHTO product • Part of Virtis development since 1996 • Actually 1992 – Initiated a UG Resolution (with George Conner) to create a PC based load rating tool • Dual use of BARS and Virtis during early 2000’s • Since late 2000’s – Virtis primary load rating tool • Majority of bridges are load rated using Load Factor method. • Exception – Timber - ASD

SDDOT – Bridge Load Rating • Bridge Load Rating Organization • Part of one FTE devoted to load rating • Training another person so there is a check • Metric #4 – Qualifications of personnel • Job Description requires PE license • Metric #13 – Inspection procedures – Load Rating • Bridges – load rated – not a problem • Culverts – not load rated – may be a problem

SDDOT – Bridge Load Rating • Metric #14 – Inspection Procedures – Post or Restrict • Any bridges requiring posting are posted • Only 1 state highway structure posted

SDDOT – Bridge Load Rating • LRFR requirements on new bridges • Easily accomplished with Virtis product • Most bridges designed with Opis • Can load rate for either LF or LRFR • Difficulty is storing data in Pontis and reporting to FHWA

SDDOT – Overweight Permitting • SDAPS (South Dakota Automated Permitting System) • Bentley Product (formerly CW Beilfuss – contractor for BARS product) • Originally used BARS output for load rating • Transitioning to VIRTIS data via LARS and Connector • Every “over legal” truck is analyzed over every bridge it crosses in permitting system • Non-Standard Gage evaluated by Bridge Staff using Virtis

SDDOT – Overweight Permitting • Increasing number of overweight permit requests over the years • Using SDAPS has diminished demand of bridge staff drastically • Pre-SDAPS – about 1/3 FTE • Post-SDAPS – about 1/10 FTE • Started SDAPS development in 2001 and implemented about 2003

State Issues – Load Rating • What to do if we don’t meet Bridge Metrics? • Load Rating culverts will take considerable time and effort • 526 Culverts on State System that are NBI • Hiring additional State FTE’s to do the work is impossible

Local Government Issues • What to do if they don’t meet Bridge Metrics? • Hiring additional State FTE’s to do the work is impossible • SDDOT hire consultants to carry out work to inspect and load rate? • State contract to post local bridges? • State withhold Federal Funds for their projects until they meet Bridge Metrics? • Each county responsible for evaluating any overweight truck (most have no system or method)

Other Issues • No local push for increased legal loads • Bridge Formula B – uncapped (grandfathered in) • Interstate – truckers can self-issue an over 80 K permit and travel easily • Non-Interstate – SDAPS allows these legal trucks to travel as long as they meet Formula B • Many trucks running 140 K and are “legal” • Bridge Metrics for “other” NBI items will impact whole program