Inspecting bridges has its thrills

If you notice men rappelling down the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge this week, don't be alarmed.

Engineering group Modjeski and Masters was contracted by the Missouri Department of Transportation to complete an in-depth inspection of the structure.

According to Chris Bucel, a field services engineer with the company, a seven-man crew is evaluating the bridge's underside, deck, stay cable system and towers. They also will inspect its earthquake restraints -- designed to soften vibrations during an earthquake -- a feature Buckel called "unique."

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge as seen Wednesday, March 12, 2014. (Laura Simon)

The 128 stay cables provide support for the bridge, and the crew will rappel down 25 percent of them, which he said will take about 12 days in the field.

"It would take about six weeks to rappel down all the cables," Buckel said.

Modjeski and Masters is based in Pennsylvania but has offices across the country. It specializes in bridges and major river crossings. According to Buckel, one of the company's founders designed some of the first major crossings on the Mississippi River.

The men who rappel down the cables during the inspections first were certified in an in-house training program, which Buckel said allows them to feel comfortable with their safety equipment. They also attend training each year to learn rescue techniques in a controlled environment to prepare for a variety of scenarios.

"Most of our techniques are taken from rock climbing and caving," he said. "But the rappelling we do is not the same as rock climbing. There's more safety techniques built in because it's not recreational: It's work."

Rappelling offers two benefits: It allows the crews to get close to the structure and its features during inspections and interferes less with traffic. According to Buckel, it requires only the shoulder to be closed.

Those driving across the bridge over the next few weeks will see lane closures, however, during the deck inspection. Only one lane and a shoulder will be closed in each direction.

Buckel said working as a bridge engineer offers plenty of benefits.

"Personally, I like to get out of the office and out onto the field," he said.

In his six years with Modjeski and Masters, Buckel said he's enjoyed sights few people will ever see.

"Maybe 10 or 15 people have been in the towers and fewer than that on the cables, so I'm going to areas almost no one's ever been to, and I think that's really cool," he said.

As with all jobs, there also are difficulties. Buckel said the work can sometimes be labor-intensive and the travel -- which he said can be one of the benefits -- can cause minor issues.

"Sometimes the travel works against, but Cape's a nice town to be in," Buckel said.

Of course, weather poses the most problems. Wind and rain can delay work, and particularly warm or cold weather can make work difficult.

Wednesday's gusty winds presented a problem, but he said the crew has not yet encountered any other major issues.

"So far, everything's gone well," Buckel said. "The weather's put us a bit behind, but we have contingency days built in to prepare for that. You're never going to get 12 to 15 days of good weather in a row."

Once the crew has completed its work, he said it will submit its report, which will include any issues or deficiencies discovered during their inspection, to MoDOT.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.