APPENDIX A

National Survey Questionnaire

Tran & Associates, LLC is preparing NCHRP Synthesis Topic 55-12, “Bridge Construction Inspection Training Resources and Practices,” for the Transportation Research Board. This synthesis is being conducted under the sponsorship of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The objective of this synthesis is to collect resources and document practices used by state DOTs in training and/or setting qualifications of the bridge construction inspection workforce. The goal of this questionnaire is to (1) identify training resources and tools for bridge construction inspection; (2) document current practices used by state DOTs in training and/or setting qualifications for the bridge construction inspection workforce; and (3) identify inspector knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for effective bridge construction inspection.

We are asking for one person at each state DOT, including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, to participate in this survey. Each DOT’s participation will help ensure the success of this synthesis project. The survey is intended to be completed by someone most familiar with bridge inspection during construction. A PDF copy of the survey questionnaire is attached so it can be previewed or shared as needed.

Your expertise and experience are critical to the success of this important project. We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration. The final report of this project will be provided to your agency. Note that DOT survey responses will be shown in the published synthesis report, with the intent of helping DOTs evaluate and improve their current practices in bridge construction inspection for highway construction project sites. However, the identity of survey respondents will remain anonymous.

If you are not the appropriate person at the DOT to complete this questionnaire, please forward it to others within your DOT that can complete the survey and cc the principal investigator so that we can follow up with them as needed.

Please complete the online questionnaire by [date]. If you have any questions about the survey or would like to discuss the research topic, please feel free to contact the principal investigator, Daniel Tran.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Please provide the following contact information.

   First Name:
   Last Name:
   Title:
   Phone Number:

Email:
DOT which you represent:

2. What group/division do you primarily work in?

   □ Construction	□ Maintenance
   □ Bridges and Structures	□ Operations
   □ Materials	□ Asset Management
   □ Research	□ Other: ______________

3. Approximately how many bridges are under construction at the state DOT in a typical year?

   Types of Bridges	1–50	50–100	100–150	150–200	200–250	>250
   New Construction/Replacement	□	□	□	□	□	□
   Maintenance/Preservation	□	□	□	□	□	□
   Rehabilitation/Widening	□	□	□	□	□	□

4. Approximately what percentage of bridges under construction in a typical year are inspected by in-house staff and consultants in the state DOT?

5. Does the state DOT have any written or informal inspection guidance for bridge construction inspection?

   □ Yes, Written

   □ Yes, Informal

   □ No

If “Yes,” please provide the web link or upload the document using the box below:

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS

6. How does the state DOT conduct bridge construction inspection? (Check all that apply)

   □ By in-house dedicated staff (the DOT staff does not perform non-bridge construction inspection)

   □ By in-house general construction inspectors

   □ By in-house general construction inspectors with consultant inspector staff augmentation

   □ By consultant inspectors

   □ By consultant inspectors with in-house inspector staff augmentation

   □ Other,_____________

7. Are there any requirements that separate a bridge construction inspector from general construction inspectors at the state DOT?

   □ Yes

   □ No

8. Which organizational structures include bridge construction inspectors at the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

   □ Central construction division

   □ District construction division

   □ Bridges and Structures division

   □ Other____________________

9. What are the minimum educational requirements for a bridge construction inspector at the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

   □ Less than high school

   □ High school graduate

   □ Associate degree

   □ Bachelor’s degree

   □ Graduate degree

   □ General Educational Development (GED)/High School Equivalency Test (HiSET)

   □ Other___________

10. What are the minimum experience requirements for a bridge construction inspector at the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

    □ No requirements

    □ < 1 year

    □ 1–3 years

    □ 3–5 years

    □ >5 years

11. What are the main responsibilities of bridge construction inspectors at the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

    □ Verifying field activities for compliance with plans and specifications

    □ Ensuring contract requirements and project compliance

    □ Ensuring shop drawings are accurate and approved

    □ Monitoring corrective actions

    □ Measuring and recording material quantities

    □ Confirming survey compliance

    □ Performing tests for specification compliance

    □ Providing potential solutions to inspection issues

    □ Understanding the contract documents

    □ Verifying and documenting as-built conditions of the work

    □ Verifying contractor workmanship for contract compliance

    □ Other: ______

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION TRAINING

12. Does the state DOT administer in-person training for bridge construction inspectors?

    □ Yes

    □ No

    □ Unsure

13. Does the state DOT administer online/virtual training for bridge construction inspectors?

    □ Yes

    □ No

    □ Unsure

14. What training methods are used by the state DOT to provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities for bridge construction inspectors? (Check all that apply)

    □ Training led by an instructor in a traditional classroom setting

    □ Formal instructor-led training in hands-on applications

□ In-person training provided by a 3rd party (e.g., 3rd-party training center)

□ Virtual training provided by a 3rd party (e.g., NHI)

□ Formal on-the-job training (OJT) – (e.g., scheduled on-site training)

□ Informal on-the-job training (OJT) – (e.g., supervisors/peers train others as they work in the field)

□ Live instructor-led online training (e.g., live video conference interface)

□ Self-directed online learning (i.e., self-paced courses or video-based training modules)

□ Communities of practice (e.g., scheduled meetings to share knowledge and discuss areas of interest or concern)

□ Attending conferences/workshops

□ Mentoring (formal or informal)

□ Other,____________________

15. How are bridge construction inspection training materials developed in the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

    □ Partnership with universities

    □ Partnership with community colleges

    □ Partnership with experienced, current or retired, DOT employees

    □ Partnership with industry members/organizations/consulting firms

    □ Other,____________

16. What resources and tools are used in the state DOT for training bridge construction inspectors? (Check all that apply)

    □ Bridge construction inspection manual

    □ Bridge construction inspection checklist

    □ Pocket guides

    □ Bridge construction inspection worksheet

    □ Use of inspection technology (e.g., iPad, mobile devices, drones, software applications)

    □ Subject-matter experts/experienced trainers

    □ Other,____________________

17. What NHI courses are required for or provided to bridge construction inspectors at the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

NHI courses	Provided	Required
FHWA-NHI-130128: Bridge Construction Inspection – Prerequisite	□	□
FHWA-NHI-130129: Bridge Construction Inspection	□	□
FHWA-NHI-134108: Plan Reading Series	□	□
FHWA-NHI-132043: Construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls and Reinforced Soil Slope	□	□
FHWA-NHI-132070: Drilled Shaft Foundation Inspection	□	□
FHWA-NHI-132069: Driven Pile Foundation Inspection	□	□
No NHI courses	□	□
Other: ________	□	□
Other: ________	□	□

18. What formal/structured training topics are required for or provided to bridge construction inspectors at the state DOT? (Check all that apply)

    Training Topic	Provided	Required
    Geotechnical Basic	□	□
    Geotechnical/Foundations (Pile, pier, etc.)	□	□
    Structural Excavation Inspection	□	□
    Concrete Placement and Testing	□	□
    Structural Steel Inspection	□	□
    Steel Reinforcement Inspection	□	□
    Steel Connection (Bolt Testing/Weld Testing)	□	□
    Steel Coatings	□	□
    Prestressed Concrete Inspection	□	□
    Post-tensioning Inspection	□	□
    Plan reading	□	□
    Structural Inspection	□	□
    Formwork/Falsework Inspection	□	□
    Cofferdam Inspection	□	□
    Construction sequencing and inspection of substructures	□	□
    Construction sequencing and inspection of superstructures	□	□
    Construction sequencing and inspection of rehabilitating bridges	□	□

Training Topic	Provided	Required
Other: ________	□	□
Other: ________	□	□

19. Does the state DOT require additional or special training for bridge construction inspectors for complex bridges?

    □ Yes

    □ No

    □ Unsure

20. Does the state DOT have written materials, documents, reports, or curricula for bridge construction inspection training?

    □ Yes

    □ No

    □ Unsure

    If “Yes,” please provide the web link or upload the document using the box below:

    

21. If “Yes” in Question 20, over the past five years, how often has the state DOT revised and updated the existing bridge construction inspection training materials?

    □ None

    □ 1 time

    □ 2 times

    □ 3 times

    □ 4 times

    □ 5 times (Updated annually)

    □ More than 5 times

22. Does the state DOT measure the effectiveness of bridge construction inspection training?

    □ Yes

    □ No

    □ Unsure

    If “Yes,” please provide the web link or upload any documents using the below box:

    

QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

23. What certifications and/or qualifications does the state DOT require or use for bridge construction inspection? (Check all that apply)

23. Certificate/Qualification	Used	Required
    National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET)	□	□
    National Highway Institute (NHI)	□	□
    American Concrete Institute (ACI)	□	□
    Certified Public Infrastructure Inspector (CPII) by American Public Works Association (APWA)	□	□
    Regional programs (e.g., NETTCP, WAQTC, SETFTTQ, M-TRAC, NECEPT, MARTCP)	□	□
    Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)	□	□
    American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA)	□	□
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)	□	□
    DOT-specific qualification standards	□	□
    Specialized bridge construction inspection certification (e.g., specialized foundations, drilled shafts)	□	□
    Other, ________	□	□

24. Please rate the importance of the following core competencies for bridge construction inspectors.

    Core Competences	NA	Level of Importance
    		Low	Moderate	High
    Mathematics	□	□	□	□
    Science	□	□	□	□
    Computer Skills	□	□	□	□
    Critical & analytic thinking	□	□	□	□
    Written and oral communication skills	□	□	□	□
    Attention to detail	□	□	□	□
    Professional registrations or certifications	□	□	□	□
    Dependability & reliability	□	□	□	□

Core Competences	NA	Level of Importance
		Low	Moderate	High
Others, ___________	□	□	□	□
Others,	□	□	□	□

25. Please rate the importance of the following technical competencies for bridge construction inspectors.

    Core Inspection Competences	NA	Level of Importance
    		Low	Moderate	High
    Proficiency in using construction and inspection tools and technologies	□	□	□	□
    Familiarity with DOT regulations, policies, and procedures	□	□	□	□
    Capacity to understand construction plans, specifications, and contract provisions	□	□	□	□
    Knowledge of materials and construction means and methods	□	□	□	□
    Understanding QA principles	□	□	□	□
    Knowledge of development, tracking, and reporting of performance measures	□	□	□	□
    Background in inspection, material testing, and documentation	□	□	□	□
    Understanding the project progress schedule	□	□	□	□
    Risk identification and analysis skills	□	□	□	□
    Others, __________	□	□	□	□
    Others,	□	□	□	□

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND FINAL THOUGHTS

26. Does the state DOT have a defined career path (e.g., a road map for inspector career advancement) associated with training opportunities for general construction inspectors and/or bridge construction inspectors? (If the state DOT differentiates between General Construction Inspector and Bridge Construction Inspector, please respond to both).

	General Construction Inspector	Bridge Construction Inspector
Yes	□	□
No	□	□
Unsure	□	□

27. On average, what is the annual turnover rate (i.e., leaving the DOT) of general construction inspectors and/or bridge construction inspectors at the state DOT? (If the state DOT differentiates between General Construction Inspector and Bridge Construction Inspector, please respond to both).

    	General Construction Inspector	Bridge Construction Inspector
    Less than 5%	□	□
    5 to 10%	□	□
    10 to 15%	□	□
    15 to 20%	□	□
    More than 20%	□	□
    Unsure	□	□

28. Please select the top five factors of the following choices that attract construction inspectors (bridge or non-bridge construction inspection) to the state DOT when they are hired. (Check all that apply).

    □ Access to rewarding projects

    □ Work–life balance

    □ Positive work environment and culture

    □ Impact on public safety and community

    □ Professional recognition and respect

    □ State-of-the-art technology and equipment

    □ Appealing job position

    □ Competitive salary

    □ Health benefits

    □ Vacation/leave benefits

    □ Retirement benefits

    □ Continuing education and training

    □ Stable employment

28. □ State/government employment

    □ Other____________________________________________

29. We would like to interview selected DOT respondents for use in developing case examples of bridge construction inspection. Case examples will be included in the final synthesis report. The case example DOTs will be identified, but the interviewees will remain anonymous. DOTs will have the opportunity to review their case examples for accuracy. Case example interviews typically last from 30 minutes to one hour. Would the state DOT like to participate in a case study interview?

    □ Yes

    □ No

    □ No, but someone in the state DOT is interested

    If the answer is “No, but someone in the state DOT is interested” can you please direct us to someone else in the state DOT that may be interested?

    Contact Name:
    Phone Number:
    Email: