When a talented photographer becomes a bridge inspector

What happens when a talented photographer becomes a bridge inspector? He photographs iconic transportation systems, of course. GHD bridge inspector, Dan Paul, takes his own photographs of work performed on Ontario’s Highway 407 ETR.

Highway 407 ETR is the world’s first all-electronic, barrier-free toll highway, stretching 108 km from Burlington (in the west) to Pickering (in the east) of the greater Ontario, Canada area. For the past two years, GHD has conducted biennial inspections on 243 bridges, 109 culverts, and nine retaining walls, to remain compliant with the legislative requirements of The Public Transportation and Highway Act – Regulation 104/97.

When Dan Paul finishes an inspection, it only seems natural to take photos. Soon his work was featured by other GHD service groups in Ontario.

Based in Whitby, Ontario, Dan studied photography at the Fanshawe College in London and had a studio in Toronto for 19-plus years before teaching photography at a local college for several years. He later had a career change and learned how to inspect bridges. However, he’s discovered many opportunities to incorporate his photographic eye to push the envelope of his technical work.

“There are certain aspects of bridge inspection and engineering work which will not change. However, the introduction of drones is becoming more prevalent and I can easily see it becoming more cost effective for inspecting components of certain structures,” said Dan. “Also, the idea of robotic submersibles with video capabilities could be used in certain culverts or for the inspection of submerged foundations of structures. Our group is currently field testing the use of digital tablets for data collection in lieu of bringing paper forms out in the field. All of these devices will certainly be new tools that make an inspector’s job easier and efficient, but inspectors will still be required to go out in the field,” said Dan.

Dan Paul will be the first to tell you that the best part of his job is variety. “Ontario is a very large province with a wide variety of landscapes and I get to see all of it. In the remote areas, I have been fortunate to get close to wolves, bears and moose and all kinds of other wildlife. I have seen and photographed some great scenes as our province goes through the different seasons, sometimes using a kayak or boat, which again adds variety to my inspecting routine,” concluded Paul.

For more information about our work on Highway 407 ETR and an example of Dan Paul’s work.