Untitled Document

Farrar appointed chair of bridge technical committee

Matt Farrar, ITD’s Bridge Engineer, recently was appointed chairman of an AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) subcommittee on bridges.

He will head the T-18 Technical Committee for Bridge Management, Evaluation and Rehabilitation. It is one of 20 technical committees organized under AASHTO’s subcommittee on Bridges and Structures. Malcolm T. Kerley, chief engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation, announced Farrar’s selection last month.

The technical committee, Farrar explains, is responsible for standards on bridge inspection, load rating and management. His assignment gives Idaho a voice in national bridge maintenance standards.

“This gives Idaho a seat at the table on important issues of bridge inspection and load ratings,” Farrar explains. The ongoing technical committee meets several times a year – at mid-year and as part of the AASHTO annual meeting.

Although this is Farrar’s first appointment as chairman, he has a long-standing presence on AASHTO’s technical committees. He is vice-chairman of the T-10 Technical Committee for Concrete (with responsibilities for concrete bridge design specifications), and is a member of the T-14 Technical Committee for Structural Steel Design (steel bridge design specifications).

The Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures represents all 50 states and draws members from throughout the country.