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A steel arch bridge should be inspected under the applicable bridge-owner and jurisdictional procedures, with access and testing planned around the bridge’s actual member classifications and condition. Inspect the arch system and connections, give required hands-on attention to nonredundant steel tension members, manage moisture where uncoated weathering steel is present, and track every significant finding through engineering review and verified follow-up. These are professional bridge-inspection and maintenance tasks, not a DIY checklist.
Start with the applicable inspection program
For highway bridges on public roads in the United States, the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) provide the federal framework for safety inspections. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) says the most recent NBIS standards update was in 2022. Owners and inspection teams must also account for current federal rules, state requirements, and the bridge owner’s procedures; the applicable requirements may differ outside the United States or for other bridge uses.
Before fieldwork, assemble the bridge inventory and available plans, inspection history, previous findings, member classifications, and records of maintenance or repair. Use them to define the inspection scope, identify changes since the last inspection, and plan suitable access. Inspection findings also inform maintenance and repair needs, rehabilitation priorities, and asset-management decisions.
Inspect the arch system and its connections
Inspect the steel arch and associated structural details under the approved procedure. The precise members and details to examine depend on the bridge’s design and condition. The responsible inspection team—not a general rule based on bridge type—must determine which members have special classifications, including whether any are nonredundant steel tension members (NSTMs).
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Give classified NSTMs the required hands-on inspection
FHWA describes hands-on NSTM inspection as placing the inspector within arm’s length of the entire member, so small defects such as fatigue cracks can be detected. The inspector may also use nondestructive evaluation or testing (NDE/NDT) as appropriate under the governing procedures. A distant visual survey or photographs alone do not provide the hands-on access described by FHWA.
FHWA’s NBIS Questions and Answers, updated in 2024, states that NSTM inspections must occur every 24 months or less, in accordance with the inspection criteria and procedures. This is a specific interval for NSTM inspection—not a universal interval for every inspection type or every bridge. The inspection team and owner determine the applicable schedule and access arrangements for the particular bridge.
Manage water and corrosion according to the steel system
For uncoated weathering steel
FHWA’s weathering-steel advisory emphasizes keeping the steel able to dry. Examine drainage and nearby details for runoff, leaking joints, debris or deposits that trap moisture, vegetation that prevents drying, and enclosed areas where water may collect. Follow the advisory’s maintenance guidance on clearing deposits and vegetation, maintaining drainage, keeping access-hole screens and covers in place, and protecting overlapping surfaces from water intrusion.
This guidance is specific to uncoated weathering steel. It is not a universal coating specification and should not be applied indiscriminately to coated steel systems. For any steel system, the inspection and maintenance approach should reflect the bridge’s materials, condition, exposure, and owner procedures.
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Connect maintenance records to condition and load rating
FHWA’s 2023 follow-up memorandum addressed concerns about deterioration where maintenance had not been completed. For the groups of uncoated-weathering-steel bridges covered by that memorandum, it directs owners to review inspection and maintenance records, confirm recommended follow-up actions, and ensure the current load rating properly considers documented deterioration and completed work. Apply the memorandum within its stated scope and alongside the governing requirements for the bridge.
Escalate cracks and other serious findings
A suspected fatigue crack calls for more than documenting the visible indication. FHWA’s fatigue-crack repair guidance notes that repeated details can share similar conditions and recommends an in-depth inspection after a crack is found to look for cracks at other similar details. The inspection team should establish the extent and context of the finding under the applicable procedures.
Repair, retrofit, or monitoring decisions depend on the particular detail, the cause and extent of cracking, loading, and structural evaluation. They require project-specific engineering authority; a generic repair method cannot safely be prescribed for every steel arch bridge.
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Record findings and recommendations in the bridge’s inspection and maintenance records, and track assigned actions through completion. Review the records to confirm that recommended work was carried out, then ensure subsequent evaluations and load ratings account for known deterioration and completed work where the applicable requirements or guidance call for it. This creates a traceable link between observed condition, maintenance decisions, and the bridge’s assessed capacity.
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