April 2022: Halifax Harbour Bridges: "Bridge Asset Management" - Past, Present and Future

ACCREDITATIONS & AFFILIATIONS: 

• Member, Engineers Nova Scotia, (APENS)

• Member, Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) 

• Member, Canadian Society of Civil Engineering, CSCE

• Member, American Society of Civil Engineers-ASCE

• Member, TRB Standing Committee on Testing and Evaluation of Transportation Structures  AKB40

• Member, Bridge Paint Advisory Committee, Society of Protective Coating (SSPC) 

Halifax Harbour Bridges-“Bridge Asset Management”-Past-Present and Future.

 

There is no doubt that “Asset Management” can be viewed differently by different people and agencies.  One definition is that “asset management is a process that seeks to minimize the total cost of acquiring, operating, maintaining and renewing the assets”. Therefore, it may be seen first as a process not as a technology, though technology is needed to implement the process. Elements of asset management have been undertaken by many bridge agencies, but few agencies have yet undertaken wider and strategic asset management approach.  It is recognized by Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB) that we should not only be focusing on bridge maintenance projects but also pay attention to the system, to develop a strategic investment plan for repairs, rehabilitation or renewal of any bridge elements or the whole structure. It is prime time for HHB to develop and implement a strategic asset management plan for the two long span suspension bridges- where the Macdonald Bridge (1955) suspended spans was just renewed and MacKay Bridge (1970) is headed for major repair, rehab, or replacement in 15 to 20 years. This presentation will discuss the HHB bridge asset management plan -where are we now? Where are we headed? How do we get there?