Meeting Issues of Preventive Maintenance for New York City Bridges

During 1988–1989, a consortium of civil engineering departments of New York City colleges and universities administered by the Center for Infrastructure Studies at Columbia University undertook the development of a preventive maintenance management system for the Department of Transportation in the City of New York. The participating schools were: Columbia University, City College, Cooper Union, Polytechnic University, and Pratt Institute. The system that was developed covered a total of 1,426 bridges. The system concentrates on those bridges in “good” or “very good” condition although it makes it clear that preventive maintenance must also be performed on “fair” and “poor” bridges until a steady state is reached. The study established the requirements to protect the bridges through dirt and water control, steel protection, roadway surface maintenance, maintaining mechanical and electrical components on moveable bridges, and performing special requirements on the East River bridges. A computer system for scheduling crews, equipment, and material for each maintenance component was developed. The report recommends a total direct staff of 794 persons and an annual budget of nearly $51,500,000.