Bridge Inspection Program enhances safety for British Columbians

BCMOTT, Associated Engineering, and Niricson Modernize Bridge Inspections with Province-Wide 2-Year Framework Contract for Digital Structural Investigations VICTORIA, BC, CANADA, June 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Transit (Ministry) have issued a framework contract award for digital bridge inspections to enhance infrastructure safety for the traveling public. Associated Engineering, a Canadian employee-owned consulting engineering company, and Niricson, a global provider of digital bridge condition assessment software and technology for automated defect mapping, deterioration monitoring, and predictive maintenance, have partnered to deliver the services.

With bridge infrastructure continuing to age, severe weather-related events accelerating deterioration, and limited funding to address required ongoing and long-term maintenance requirements, demand for digital bridge condition assessment and monitoring services continue to grow. As part of the program, the team will inspect bridges and transportation structures across the province. The program will provide the Ministry with recommendations and data to help prioritize bridge maintenance, rehabilitation, and repair.

Associated Engineering will provide project management, design, reporting, and bridge inspection expertise, while Niricson is providing high-resolution digital models with visual defect maps, a proprietary drone-equipped delamination hammer, and a web-based visualization platform, AUTOSPEX^®. Associated Engineering will work with the AUTOSPEX^® platform to provide compliant inspection reports, and provide repair, monitoring, and rehabilitation recommendations.

Under the Assignment, projects will include:

1) Developing digital baseline scans and identifying bridge deterioration rates with secondary scans, by using Niricson’s Automated Change Detection Capability on AUTOSPEX^®

2) Quantifying the amount of Repair Material needed for bridge maintenance or rehabilitation, assisting in creating Quantity/Unit Price Contracts instead of Cost-Plus or Time & Materials Contracts, which have cost overrun risks

3) Evaluating maintenance, rehab, and repair performance by documenting and monitoring the performance of contractors and their repair methods and materials


“This project represents a significant step forward in how we assess and maintain critical infrastructure across British Columbia. By combining our experience in bridge inspection and project delivery with Niricson’s cutting-edge digital technologies, we’re helping the Ministry of Transportation and Transit make data-driven decisions that enhance public safety, optimize maintenance investments, and extend the life of vital transportation assets.”

- Leslie Mihalik, General Manager - Associated Engineering (B.C.) Ltd.


“We are proud to work with British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Transit, setting an industry standard for bridge infrastructure assessments in Canada. As a Victoria-Canada based company, we are proud to support Associated Engineering and British Columbia to achieve high levels of infrastructure resilience.”

- Harsh Rathod, Ph.D., Niricson CEO & Co-founder


About British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Transit
The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Transit is a provincial crown corporation responsible for building and maintaining a safe and reliable transportation system.

About Associated Engineering
Established in Edmonton more than 75 years ago, Associated has over 1,200 staff in 20 offices across Canada. Associated is a proudly Canadian, employee-owned consulting company, providing a broad range in services in urban planning, engineering, environmental science, and landscape architecture. Their services include planning, studies, assessments, design, construction, training, operational assistance, asset management, advisory services, and project management.

About Niricson
Niricson is a technology company specializing in Automated infrastructure condition assessment and risk management. Niricson leverages proprietary technologies to digitize and automate the inspection of critical civil infrastructure such as bridges, dams, and airfields. These tools utilize photogrammetry and machine learning, as well as a proprietary robotic tactile sounding hammer, to detect, quantify, and track deterioration, providing asset managers with actionable insights for maintenance decisions, rehabilitation planning, and risk management.

For further information, please contact:

[email protected]
www.ae.ca
Associated Engineering

www.niricson.com
Niricson
[email protected]

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