City and County of Denver Minor Bridge Structures

Matrix worked with the City of Denver over a four-year period to inspect their minor structures, with more than 150 inspections completed. Our Team was brought into the bridge inspection program when the City’s minor structures were not well documented. Many had been visually inspected within the past three years but  not accurately evaluated, and true conditions were typically overestimated. Moreover, existing sketches of the structures were often inaccurate or incomplete. The lack of information required Matrix conduct inspections without previous inspection data. The structures included box and pipe culverts, cast-in-place slabs, prefabricated steel trusses, steel tub girders, and prestressed concrete girders. They span major waterways in the city limits, including Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, and major roadways, such as 6th Avenue Freeway and 38th Avenue. Matrix performed the inspections in accordance with Federal Highway Administration criteria, and all data were collected according to the National Bridge Inspection Coding Guide and the Colorado Department of Transportation Coding Guide. Matrix compiled structural inventory and appraisal (SI&A) data, assigned element condition states to the bridge elements, identified deficient elements, and developed conceptual repair options with associated costs and timeframes for each. All data collected were provided to the City for input into their bridge asset management software. Matrix provided AutoCAD- and MicroStation-based sketches of each structure that reflected the condition of the structure accurately.