This is specialized manual work in a variety of tasks related to the maintenance and reconstruction of county bridges.

Employees in this class perform mechanical adjustments and repairs of bascule and fixed-span bridges. Work involves skilled use of a varied bridge equipment and tools. Duties require knowledge of safety measures and efficient work methods as well as ability to perform work under hazardous conditions. All work is supervised by foremen or other supervisors but employees are expected and required to be capable of performing work with a minimum of direct supervision.

ILLUSTRATIVE TASKS

Performs the more difficult tasks in bridge maintenance and construction; replaces or strengthens members; lays out, cuts, punches and drills new steel; scrapes, wire brushes and does other cleaning.

On concrete bridges, may demolish or repair existing structures; builds coffer dams; excavates and pours concrete, strips forms and finishes concrete.

Installs and repairs iron gates, hand rails, fences and expansion plates.

Does woodwork such as installing decking stringers, braces, hand rails, and headers on wooden bridges.

Rigs and erects scaffolding; works from special scaffolding over water at considerable heights.

Prepares surfaces for painting by use of sand blasting equipment, chisels and chipping hammers; mixes and applies red lead and heavy metallic base paint to bridge surfaces with brush or spray gun.

Loads and unloads materials and tools and performs a variety of other semi-skilled tasks as assigned.

Operates pumps, air compressors, electric hammers, paving breakers, electric drills; and operates saws, mechanical winches and hoists, and other tools and equipment of a similar nature as the job requires; splices wire and rope, repairs tackle, and does similar rigging work.

Repairs sump pumps; disassembles, cleans, replaces worn parts.

Repairs and adjusts bridge brakes, span locks, gate mechanisms, and drive linkage; changes bridge drive motors.

Applies lubrication to various mechanical parts of bridges with gun, can, spray, spatula and brush as required by particular mechanism.

Does a variety of road resurfacing on bridge approaches; resurfaces road edges; cleans grass from edges and aprons; cleans drain holes on bridges, and drains along right-of-way; fills expansion joints on bridges, aprons and curbings with tar; erects signs, posts and barricades where needed.

Operates power bridges on an emergency basis.

Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGES, ABILITIES AND SKILLS

Considerable knowledge of the materials, equipment and labor methods commonly employed in repairing, renovating or reconstructing wooden, concrete and steel bridges.

Considerable knowledge of the necessary precautions in rigging and in working at dangerous heights.

Knowledge of the methods, materials, tools and practices used in the painting of heavy timber and structural steel surfaces.

Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.

Ability to swim.

Skill in the manipulation of ropes and equipment used in rigging.

Skill in the application of paint with brush or spray gun.

Skill in the use of common hand tools.

Sufficient physical strength and agility and freedom from disabling defects to do heavy manual work at heights.

REV 11-71