The Project
RK&K is supporting SCDOT in meeting Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements for the National Bridge Inventory Policy Item 113, which mandates scour vulnerability assessments for all bridges over water. This statewide initiative involves evaluating more than 8,500 bridges and bridge-size culverts to determine their susceptibility to scour during flood events and developing a Plan of Action (POA) for any structures classified as Scour Critical.
As one of five engineering firms originally selected for this effort, RK&K assessed 1,131 bridges, completing all tasks for 560 and providing quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) for 571 assessed by other team members. Our scope included reviewing existing documentation – such as bridge plans and inspection reports – performing field inspections, and conducting detailed scour analyses. Since completing this original set of bridges, SCDOT has extended our contract to assess an additional 10 and 20 bridges and bridge-size culverts per month.
RK&K’s scour evaluation approach is tailored to each structure’s complexity. For simpler structures, the team applies USGS Scour Envelope Equations using existing plan data and/or LiDAR. More complex structures require hydraulic modeling using HEC-RAS or SRH-2D to support the scour analysis. Based on the results, each bridge is coded according to FHWA Item 113 criteria, and those deemed Scour Critical receive a POA outlining recommended countermeasures and detour strategies to ensure public safety during flood events. RK&K also used GIS to develop Hydraulic Contextual Risk Determination (HCR) mapping for approximately 2,500 bridges on state or counties roads that lacked maps.
To execute this work efficiently and meet aggressive reporting deadlines, RK&K managed five subconsultants and implemented a robust tracking and QA/QC system for inspections, data entry, scour assessments, and POA development. The team inspected structures ranging from single-span, 15-foot bridges to multi-span bridges exceeding 3,000 feet in length. Under the original contract, RK&K submitted a minimum of 20 finalized reports every two weeks, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality assessments to SCDOT.
RK&K is supporting SCDOT in meeting Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements for the National Bridge Inventory Policy Item 113, which mandates scour vulnerability assessments for all bridges over water. This statewide initiative involves evaluating more than 8,500 bridges and bridge-size culverts to determine their susceptibility to scour during flood events and developing a Plan of Action (POA) for any structures classified as Scour Critical.
As one of five engineering firms originally selected for this effort, RK&K assessed 1,131 bridges, completing all tasks for 560 and providing quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) for 571 assessed by other team members. Our scope included reviewing existing documentation – such as bridge plans and inspection reports – performing field inspections, and conducting detailed scour analyses. Since completing this original set of bridges, SCDOT has extended our contract to assess an additional 10 and 20 bridges and bridge-size culverts per month.
RK&K’s scour evaluation approach is tailored to each structure’s complexity. For simpler structures, the team applies USGS Scour Envelope Equations using existing plan data and/or LiDAR. More complex structures require hydraulic modeling using HEC-RAS or SRH-2D to support the scour analysis. Based on the results, each bridge is coded according to FHWA Item 113 criteria, and those deemed Scour Critical receive a POA outlining recommended countermeasures and detour strategies to ensure public safety during flood events. RK&K also used GIS to develop Hydraulic Contextual Risk Determination (HCR) mapping for approximately 2,500 bridges on state or counties roads that lacked maps.
To execute this work efficiently and meet aggressive reporting deadlines, RK&K managed five subconsultants and implemented a robust tracking and QA/QC system for inspections, data entry, scour assessments, and POA development. The team inspected structures ranging from single-span, 15-foot bridges to multi-span bridges exceeding 3,000 feet in length. Under the original contract, RK&K submitted a minimum of 20 finalized reports every two weeks, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality assessments to SCDOT.
