Road work, particularly bridge work is hard stressful labor and puts constraints on a large number of people. Workers are often put under tight deadlines, so that rerouting and delays are as short as possible. Surveys show that road workers prefer working in off-peak hours for safety reasons, which is why most work is done during the night.
A fast installation bridge cuts the amount of time rerouting is needed while still providing the needed level of attention and rebuilding. There are many different kinds of bridges that may need work or rebuilding such as a military bridge or railway bridge.
Regardless of the work being done, there are methods and techniques used to ensure the safety of the workers while working but also the long-term stability of the work for the safety of all those that go over or under the bridge.
According to some research, over two million trips are made every day over bridges that have deficient safety standards within the 102 largest metropolitan regions. Rebuilding every bridge that is deficient would cost billions of dollars and most municipalities do not have that kind of money.
In 2015 alone, there was over $90 billion spent in the public sector for highway construction. This amount is expected to keep growing as the demand for road repairs continues to grow. Another factor in this is the amount of regulations mandated by OSHA there are that have to be followed.
For example, according to OSHA an excavation is defined as any man-made cut, cavity, trench or depression into the Earth?s surface that was created through the removal of earth. A trench specifically is defined as a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide, and is not wider than fifteen feet.
Further, OSHA requires that there has to be defined safe access to all excavations. This may be a ladder, steps, ramps, or other safe means to any trench that is four feet deep or deeper. The safe means of getting in and out have to be available within 25 feet of all workers. This means, for a long trench, there needs to be multiple safe access points. Depending on the job and area, for added safety, the job may need a trench box or trench shield.
These OSHA regulations are essential to understand and follow when doing any type of excavation, shoring, and working with fast installation bridges.
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