About the Course:

In Louisiana, local bridge owners have the responsibility to conduct Special Inspections of bridges to monitor known or suspected deficiencies. According to the Manual For Bridge Evaluation, these Special Inspections can be conducted by a “qualified person familiar with the bridge” who has been provided with the “guidelines and procedures on what to observe and measure.” This class will provide the basic training for local agency personnel to conduct Special Inspections of bridges owned by parishes and municipalities and provide the necessary training for the transition from current inspection procedures to the new and updated DOTD system. LTAP has worked closely with the DOTD Bridge Inspection and Maintenance Section to ensure that the class reflects the requirements of DOTD’s compliance program in accordance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards. It is strongly advised that each parish sends at least one bridge inspector or supervisor to this course in order to meet compliance requirements.

Instructor:
Kent Hardin

Kent Hardin has 33 years of experience in the construction, inspection, and maintenance of bridges. He worked in various capacities with the LA DOTD from 1984 until 2014. He served as a DOTD Bridge Inspector from 1985-2001 and then as the Bridge Maintenance and Inspection Supervisor for District 08, a 7 parish area in central Louisiana, from 2001-2012. From 2012 until his retirement in 2014, he held a statewide QA/QC Bridge Inspection position. Kent continues to work in the bridge inspection field through part-time, QA/QC assignments for DOTD and performance of routine bridge inspections for the US Forest Service in Kisatchie National Forest. He is certified as a Bridge Inspection Team Leader by DOTD and as a Senior Engineering Technician in the field of Bridge Safety Inspection by the NICET.