The nation's bridge infrastructure system is aging and needs extensive repair. There are approximately 600,000 bridges in the nation's inventory including almost 200,000 steel bridges. More than 100,000 steel bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These bridges are a rapidly developing national disaster, collectively comprising almost $400 billion of repair liability, impending accidents, and potential disruption of the nation's ability to conduct commerce. For more details, see Bridge Data. For some unfortunate examples of bridge neglect, see Horror Stories.

In 1997 the US Government spent in excess of $5 billion to rehabilitate existing bridges. The need for increased spending accelerates significantly each year as the infrastructure ages and as inflation increases. Analysis by infrastructure economic experts, including the Federal Highway Administration, confirms that approximately $9 billion per year is the minimum required to maintain the status quo with presently used construction methods.

The US client base for EFS-based monitoring consists of the US Government, the 50 states and their local government agencies, 42 bridge authorities, 3 military agencies, and 48 railroads. Recognizing the problem of our aging surface transportation system, Congress has enacted legislation for its rehabilitation including the Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991 and the Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) in 1998.

The unacceptably high cost of retrofitting and replacing bridges impelled an ISTEA mandate that the States demonstrate they have an effective bridge management system in place in order to receive funding. To this date, final regulations to implement this mandate have not been published because no viable, dependable system to manage bridges has evolved.

The follow-on TEA-21 Act funded $200 billion for surface transportation, with $29 billion for the year 2000. Of this, $9 billion was budgeted for bridges; however, this funding was for the most part untapped because a proven, effective bridge management system had not been available. EFS-based monitoring can play a key role in this arena.

The US Government must now preside over the accelerating deterioration of the 610,389 bridges that make up the nationwide bridge infrastructure. Approximately 100,000 bridges are rated "structurally deficient" using Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidelines, and this number is increasing annually despite remedial actions taken. A specific population of what is defined as the average bridge - two and half spans - numbers 25,161 bridges, and require immediate repair. The cost, as estimated by the FHWA, reported in the NBI data, is $104 per square foot, or more than $20 billion.

In this context the excellent test results of Matech’s EFS and FF on bridges in several states is highly relevant and advantageous. See the Press Releases of November 17, 2004, September 27, 2004 and June 8, 2004 and Operational Considerations.

The FHWA has said that at least 56% of all condition ratings are incorrect.

For all predictions, forecasts or other statements which are forward looking in time,
there are possible risks and uncertainties involved. See the Future Statements page.