GB-Bristol: Forestry England Bridge Inspections

New contract to carry out Principle, General & Special Bridge Inspections throughout Forestry England.

Bridges are classified into four groups, A, B, C & D, according to structural risk, with A being the highest. The bridge inspection regime on public highways is governed by legislation, and our in-house standards are broadly similar. All bridges are undergo a 'General Inspection' at a maximum interval of every 2 years, replaced by a 'Principal Inspection' every 6 years. Additionally, there can be times when a further inspection is required outside of these timings, and this is referred to as a 'Special Inspection'.

We require an external resource to carry out, record and report these inspections for a number of our category A and B bridges.

Work to include:

A) desk top study to produce workflow plan with indicative methodology of inspection of each bridge for approval B) pre-inspection site visit for all bridges, including update of Forestry England risk assessments as needed - issue revised workflow plan for approval C) carry out inspections D) report findings E) optional additional structural analysis and design work to provide recommendations for repairs where defects are identified F) optional: call off extra inspections using day rates.

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.