Evaluation of Overhead Support Inspection Program

This study evaluated the adequacy and frequency of the current structural support inspection program for overhead sign supports (including bridge mounted), mast arm signal supports and high mast light supports. While Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) provides statewide guidance to all 12 districts with regards to support inspection, each district may implement different procedures to meet the needs of the representative district, as along as state requirements are met. To assess the current program, a detailed, hands-on inspection was conducted on 202 supports. These results were then compared to the previous ODOT inspection results which uses a ground based, visual inspection process with sounding of the anchor bolts by hammer. The hands-on inspection process found almost 1.87 times more deficiencies. While the majority of them would have likely been observed under the current ODOT process, some deficiencies observed during the field inspections would not have been observable from the ground. Additionally, it was observed that the different inspection procedures used by each district often produced inspection reports that varied in the amount of information and level of detail collected during inspection. Overall, there was no evidence that indicated the current ground based, visual inspection process, or that the maximum 5 year inspection frequency, with regards to overhead sign supports, was inadequate and should be changed at this time. Subsequent recommendations were made to address the inventory process and inspection procedures for each type of support and consider the need to establish the current condition (i.e. structural adequacy) of every support in the ODOT inventory at the time of inspection.