CPII Bridge Inspection 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which inspection technique is most effective for detecting subsurface delamination in a concrete bridge deck without removing the overlay?
- Visual inspection
- Chain drag or hammer sounding (Correct answer)
- Cover meter scanning
- Half-cell potential testing
Correct answer: Chain drag or hammer sounding
Chain drag or hammer sounding detects delamination by the hollow sound produced when a delaminated area is struck.
Question 2: A bridge with a vertical underclearance of 13.5 feet over a state highway would be classified as:
- Structurally deficient
- Functionally obsolete (Correct answer)
- Scour critical
- Load posted
Correct answer: Functionally obsolete
A vertical clearance below 14 feet on a non-interstate highway makes a bridge functionally obsolete due to restricted vehicle access.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of the element-level inspection data collected under the AASHTO CoRe (now AASHTO BrM) system?
- To calculate the sufficiency rating
- To support bridge management system asset decisions and maintenance planning (Correct answer)
- To determine the legal load posting
- To assign NBI condition ratings
Correct answer: To support bridge management system asset decisions and maintenance planning
Element-level data supports bridge management systems by tracking deterioration rates and enabling cost-effective maintenance and preservation decisions.
Question 4: During high water, a bridge inspector cannot access the substructure for an in-depth inspection. What should the inspector do?
- Skip the substructure inspection and note it in the report
- Perform an underwater inspection using dive teams
- Document the inaccessible elements and schedule a follow-up inspection (Correct answer)
- Estimate conditions based on prior inspection records
Correct answer: Document the inaccessible elements and schedule a follow-up inspection
Inaccessible elements must be documented in the report, and a follow-up inspection must be scheduled to complete the inspection.
Question 5: Which NBIS standard governs the minimum qualifications for a bridge inspection team leader in the United States?
- AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
- 23 CFR Part 650, Subpart C (Correct answer)
- FHWA Bridge Inspector's Reference Manual (BIRM)
- ASTM E2528
Correct answer: 23 CFR Part 650, Subpart C
23 CFR Part 650, Subpart C establishes the National Bridge Inspection Standards, including team leader qualification requirements.
Question 6: A steel bridge bearing shows significant corrosion and is frozen in place. What is the primary structural concern?
- Increased dead load on the superstructure
- Inability to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction, causing unintended forces (Correct answer)
- Reduced fatigue life of the bearing plate
- Loss of vertical load capacity at the bearing
Correct answer: Inability to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction, causing unintended forces
A frozen bearing cannot accommodate thermal movements, inducing large unintended horizontal forces into the substructure and superstructure.
Question 7: What is the significance of a bridge being classified as 'scour critical'?
- The bridge has already experienced significant scour damage
- The bridge foundation is unknown or is known to be vulnerable to scour (Correct answer)
- The bridge requires immediate load posting due to scour
- The bridge deck drains are insufficient
Correct answer: The bridge foundation is unknown or is known to be vulnerable to scour
A scour-critical bridge has foundations that are known to be unstable under flood conditions or whose foundation type is unknown.
CPII Bridge Inspection 3
Which inspection technique is most effective for detecting subsurface delamination in a concrete bridge deck without removing the overlay?