Our team has been hard at work load rating bridges across Massachusetts. In simple terms, a load rating is an evaluation of a bridge to determine its capacity to carry vehicular traffic. Run by Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), this work is crucial for public safety and for planning routes for heavy vehicles, such as fire trucks, tractor trailers, and school buses.
As this is Hoyle Tanner’s first contract of this kind with MassDOT, we want to highlight both the advantages of these projects and what it’s like to be part of our team working on them.
Our Work & Our Selection
Working on bridge load ratings for MassDOT has been a unique and rewarding experience for our team. Our main goal is to determine the safe load-carrying capacity of bridges across Massachusetts, ensuring compliance with FHWA regulations and helping MassDOT understand which bridges need load postings, maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement.
Although Hoyle Tanner is well versed in a wide variety of challenging load ratings throughout northern New England, we were somewhat of a “wild card” selection for this contract, as we were not one of the legacy firms typically chosen for such work in Massachusetts. However, we were awarded a contract, and since then, we’ve focused on delivering high-quality, responsive work to prove ourselves in this new market.
Building up our Junior Engineers
Load ratings are especially valuable for our junior engineers. The fast-paced, three-month turnaround for each bridge load rating gives them valuable experience in a wide variety of tasks including performing an in-depth field inspection of the bridge, understanding the bridge design codes, completing technical calculations, and report writing. Our junior engineers are the primary “do-ers” of the calculations, while more senior staff serve as the load rating engineers, reviewing their work and providing guidance. Every report requires two professional engineer seals, ensuring a high standard of quality and accuracy.
One of the biggest challenges we face with this work is dealing with the unexpected. Existing bridges often have unique details or deterioration, requiring us to stay flexible and adjust our approach quickly. We must make initial assumptions as to how we are going to analyze the bridge for our proposals, but once the calculations start, we often need to reassess and adapt, all within tight deadlines.
Over the past year, we’ve completed 16 bridge load rating across five assignments, often working on multiple bridges at once. Our team is well-staffed at the junior level, but as our workload grows, we need more mid-level engineers with a Massachusetts PE to help review and seal reports.
Why you Might be the Perfect Fit
We’re currently seeking a mid-level engineer with a Massachusetts PE license to join our team. This role is ideal for someone interested in mentoring younger staff, helping us build a cohesive and capable team, and contributing to our growing presence in the state.
Our Chelmsford office staff is predominantly young, with a strong sense of camaraderie and collaboration. Hybrid work is available, and many of our younger staff prefer being in the office to build relationships and learn from each other. We pride ourselves on a friendly, supportive culture where everyone is willing to roll up their sleeves and help out.
If you’re looking for a place to grow, mentor others, and make a real impact, our Massachusetts office is the place to be. Reach out to me to talk about our opportunities or head directly to our careers page!
