Job Description:

• 1) Inspects railroad bridges, trestles, culverts, and waterways to detect damage or wear and to ensure structures conform to safety regulations, building codes, and railroad engineering specifications: Inspects waterways to determine need for cleaning, straightening, or enlargement.

• 2) Inspects masonry in tunnels, culverts, and waterways to detect cracks in concrete or signs of settlement.

• 3) Verifies alignment of bridge with road track, using levels and similar gauging instruments.

• 4) Observes installation of guardrails on bridges to ensure construction according to specifications.

• 5) Inspects fire protection equipment, such as fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and water barrels, on bridges and in tunnels.

• 6) Determines need for repainting structures to prevent rust or excessive weathering.

• 7) Measures clearance between bridges and roads to ensure sufficient clearance for passage of vehicles, in accordance with local building codes and specifications.

• 8) Inspects piles, posts, and timbers to determine if decayed, split, or crooked.

• 9) Strikes wooden supports with hammer and listens for sounds indicating decay.

• 10) Inspects bolts and rivets at joints of floor beams, stringers, and panel points to ensure they are securely fastened.

• 11) Inspects steel girders to detect buckling.

• 12) Inspects drainage systems to detect obstructions.

• 13) Inspects inside of tunnels to detect excessive vegetation growth.

• 14) Prepares reports of findings, noting location and type of structure, defect, and extent of damage.