Underwater inspection program of navy´s waterfront structures

In 1979 the Navy established the Underwater Inspection Program (UWIP) to address the problem of an increasing backlog of maintenance and repairs (M&R) required at Navy waterfront facilities around the world. The centrally managed UWIP provides periodic underwater inspections, structural capability assessments, M&R recommendations, and estimates of M&R costs on priority structures. These facilities number 1285 at 255 bases and include: 416 piers providing 75 miles of berthing; 260 wharfs providing 33 miles of berthing; and 308 bulkheads and quaywalls of 141 miles length. The UWIP is establishing uniform standards for the Navy on underwater inspection performance, equipment use, data recording, structural evaluation, and reporting. To date, several timely M&R recommendations have resulted in averting facilities failures.