Tag: NHI

Underwater Inspection: When, Why, and How

By Rick Maslyn, CBI Some of the most important foundation elements of a bridge are its least visible – the abutments, piers, piles, and footings submerged under the waterline. Regular inspection, both above and below the waterline, helps to keep aging structures solid and stable. About the Expert: Rick Maslyn, Ayres’ supervisor of structural inspection,… Read More »

Understanding Highway Hydraulics Keeps Bridges, People Safe

By Pete Haug, PE One of the principles of engineering is that water always wins. Whether contained in a river or falling in a rainstorm, water finds a way to infiltrate basements, saturate soils – and undermine bridges. The most common cause of bridge failures is from floods scouring bed material surrounding bridge foundations. What… Read More »

HEC-RAS Software: How Math Mitigates Flooding

In this City of Loveland, Colorado, map, the red line shows the HEC-RAS modeled 100-year floodplain that Ayres Associates completed in 2005. The yellow line shows the extents of the 2013 major flood, as measured by the City of Loveland. By John Hunt, Senior Hydraulic Engineer When it comes to 1-dimensional open-channel hydraulic analysis, the… Read More »