Targeted Assurance Review

The ORR are seeking support from a suitably informed consultant who has a demonstrable knowledge of UK rail infrastructure standards and procedures regarding management and structural assessment of structures.

The requirements for the assessment of structures on the railway were given in NR/SP/CIV/035: Assessment of Structures (NR, 2004). Network Rail's standard adopted a two stage assessment process comprising of Level 1 and Level 2 assessment. Level 1, the simplest level, and Level 2 typically including advanced methods of structural analysis.

In 2011 Network Rail developed an assessment technique to support the rapid delivery of an Assessment Programme which covered 13,431 bridge assessments across the network. The new assessment technique is described as a Level 0 assessment.

The Level 0 assessment is a simplified assessment based on principal checks of critical sections and conservative load distribution. First time assessment of structures using a Level 0 approach is generally based on recorded information and supplementary site investigations as determined by the Asset Engineer.

We require the successful consultant to review the use of the Level 0 tool, assessment processes and its impact in the asset's long term management as set out in 2.2.