The project at a glance
The customer is a bridge inspection contractor working on a motorway bridge network in Europe. The program required inspectors to reach the underside of deck soffits, bearings and girders across a series of bridges, within controlled traffic windows on live motorway lanes. The tender asked for under-bridge inspection vehicles that could deliver stable working depth and reach, set up quickly within the lane closure, and cover the bridge network on schedule. We supplied the Yutong bridge inspection vehicle line, matched to the 26 m truss bridge inspection vehicle for this cross-section.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Site | European motorway bridge network |
| Access target | Deck soffit, bearings and girders |
| Working depth | Matched to bridge cross-section outreach |
| Traffic | Controlled lane closures, off-peak windows |
| Supplied units | 26 m truss inspection vehicles |
| Setup | Fast rig-up within lane closure time |
The challenge: underdeck access, live traffic and tight windows
Reach the soffit. A bridge inspector needs to get under the deck to look at bearings, girders and soffit. Ladders and scaffolding are slow and impractical on a motorway bridge over traffic. The inspection vehicle lowers a stable platform under the deck to the working depth the cross-section needs.
Live motorway lane closures. The work happens in a controlled lane closure on a live motorway. Every minute of setup is a minute the lane is closed to traffic. The vehicle has to rig up fast and get the inspectors to work, because the closure window is not unlimited.
Match reach to the bridge. Different bridges have different cross-sections. The vehicle's platform outreach has to reach the soffit and bearings without re-positioning across the lane, which wastes the closure window.
The solution: 26 m truss inspection vehicles matched to the cross-section
We spec'd the 26 m truss bridge inspection vehicle around the bridge cross-section's under-deck reach. The platform lowers to the soffit and reaches the bearings so the inspectors can work under the deck without re-positioning across the lane. For platforms with a different reach, the contractor can draw on the bridge inspection platform line; the full range is on the bridge inspection vehicles page.
Setup within the lane closure is part of the spec. The vehicle rigs up quickly so the inspectors are on the platform within the closure window, and the inspection completes before the lane reopens. The special vehicle category overview is on the special vehicle page.
The results: underdeck access within the traffic windows
Across the bridge network, the inspection vehicles reached the soffit and bearings within the controlled lane closures. Inspectors had stable underdeck access to look at girders and bearings, and the inspection program completed without extra lane-closure days. Fast rig-up meant each bridge's inspection fit inside the planned window, so the motorway lane reopened on schedule.
The inspection foreman noted that the vehicle "got the inspectors under the deck in the window we had, without re-positioning across the lane." On a live motorway, that is the result: the access you need, in the time the traffic authority gives you, and you are gone when the window closes. The cross-section match meant the reach covered the bearings without wasted re-positioning.
Why the contractor chose Yutong
The tender came down to reach, setup speed and window fit. First, the truss vehicle reached the soffit and bearings for the bridge cross-sections in the network. Second, fast rig-up meant the inspection fit inside the lane-closure window. Third, the network was covered without extra closure days. The contractor now has a repeatable spec for the next bridge program: match the vehicle reach to the cross-section, plan the closure window around rig-up time, and cover the network on schedule.
For bridge inspection contractors, start from the bridge cross-section's under-deck reach and the traffic window the authority allows, then size the vehicle. The bridge inspection range is on the bridge inspection vehicles page, and the special vehicle category overview is on the special vehicle page.
Frequently asked questions
What access does a bridge inspection vehicle provide?
It lowers a platform under the deck soffit so inspectors reach the underside of the deck, bearings and girders, where ladders or scaffolding cannot work over live traffic.
How is traffic control handled?
Inspection runs in controlled lane closures at off-peak hours. Setup time matters because the lane can only be closed for so long, so rig-up speed is part of the spec.
How is working depth matched to the bridge?
The platform depth and outreach are matched to the bridge cross-section so the inspector reaches the soffit and bearings without re-positioning across the lane.
What were the coverage results?
The vehicles reached the soffit and bearings within the traffic windows, completed the inspection program without extra closure days, and gave inspectors stable underdeck access.
Spec a bridge inspection vehicle
Tell us the bridge deck width, the required under-deck reach, and the lane-closure window the traffic authority allows, and our special vehicle engineering team will match an inspection vehicle across the Yutong range. We export to over 60 countries on FOB or CIF terms with the full customs document set.