Inspection of bridges in the United States has been regulated by the federal government since 1968, when a national bridge inspection program was established that recognized the need for periodic and consistent bridge inspections. The first National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) were developed in 1971. Since then, inspection standards, policies, and procedures have continued to evolve. This paper describes some of the recent changes and trends with bridge inspection practices in the United States.

• Thomas A. Bolte, PE(Vice President, Bridge Group Director, Burgess & Niple, Inc. Columbus, Ohio, USA)
• Sang-Chel Kim, Ph.D(Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Hanseo University)