Water Stewardship Information Sources
| ID | 115 |
|---|---|
| Citation | BC Forest Practices Board. 2014. Bridge Planning, Design and Construction. BC Forest Practices Board. FPB/SIR/38. |
| Organization | BC Forest Practices Board |
| URL | http://www.bcfpb.ca/sites/default/files/reports/SIR38-Bridge-Planning-Design-and-Construction.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The Forest Practices Board is concerned with the growing number of non-compliances showing up in recent audit reports, i and is very concerned about how many of those non-compliances involve unsafe bridges. Based on these audit results, the Board undertook a special investigation of bridge planning, design and construction. Over the 2013 field season, the Board examined 216 bridges built on resource roads since January 2010 in five districts around the province. The investigation focused on safety, protection of the environment and planning. Results were variable across the five districts and amongst builders. Of significant concern to the Board are the poor safety results. Nineteen bridges were obviously unsafe and investigators had serious safety concerns with a further 13 bridges. Overall, only 85 percent of these new bridges were deemed safe. Investigators informed all affected licensees about these unsafe bridges. The Board expects these licensees to be diligent and ensure these known bridge deficiencies are corrected prior to any further industrial use, as required by legislation. ii While most builders are adequately protecting the environment, there were problems found with planning. Plans must be complete and accurate and a qualified professional must take responsibility for a bridge. Only 60 percent of bridges had complete plans and there was no professional assurance that 73 bridges were planned and built adequately. This is unacceptable. Both professional engineers and professional foresters may be involved in planning and constructing bridges on resource roads. In exchange for the right to practice, these professionals must comply with the law and with professional practice guidelines to ensure that they fulfill their professional obligations to protect the safety, health and welfare of the public and the environment. This is called professional reliance. The professional associations have provided professional practice guidelines for bridge planning, design and construction to their members, but not all licensees and professionals are following it. In accordance with section 131(2) of the Forest and Range Practices Act, the Board is making the following recommendation: The Board requests that the Joint Practices Board of the Association of BC Forest Professionals and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia advise it of the steps planned or taken to address the professional practice issues identified in this report by October 31, 2014. The Board views these findings as a reasonable sample of what is happening throughout the province and it expects all licensees to exercise due diligence to ensure that resource road bridges are safe. Based on these findings, the Board also expects that the Compliance and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will increase its attention to the integrity of bridges. This report is a wake-up call to those who are not complying with the law or the professional practice guidelines. Due to the potentially significant consequences, there are no corners to cut when it comes to bridge design, planning and construction. The public and government expect and deserve high safety, environmental and professional standards, but those standards are not currently being met. road, crossing, safety, erosion, sediment |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Okanagan |
| Sub-watershed if known | |
| Aquifer # | |
| Comments | |
| Project status | complete |
| Contact Name | BC Forest Practices Board |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |