Changing the way that BC Hydro manages its structure assets

BC Hydro Bridge Inspection and Maintenance Program

BC Hydro’s generation facilities deliver electricity to 95% of the population in British Columbia. BC Hydro staff (and the travelling public) who access these facilities every day depend on safe and reliable bridge infrastructure. With that in mind, BC Hydro brought us in to complete condition inspections and engineering assessments for 108 short-, medium-, and long-span bridge crossings in five BC Hydro regions across the province.

Using specialized under-bridge access equipment (a snooper truck) and certified rope climbers to assess the existing structural component conditions, we rated the assets using the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s inspection system. This meant consistency with highway structures across BC.

To help maximize structure service lives and minimize economic, environmental, and public safety risks, we developed a unified, inventory-wide maintenance strategy. Our improvement recommendations resulted in BC Hydro’s first-ever structure asset management program, a program that will safeguard safety standards for the next 20 years. Together, we are helping BC Hydro keep people safe, maintain reliable energy supply, and plan for our future.