As the global authority in its fields, the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) is expressing its strong support for recent guidance from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is urging immediate vulnerability assessments on 68 U.S. bridges.

This call was detailed in the agency’s ongoing investigation intothe Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

The NTSB’s findings underscore the urgent need to evaluate infrastructure with unprotected piers and elevated risk profiles, particularly bridges built before 1991 and spanning active cargo ship waterways.

The investigation revealed that the Key Bridge posed a collapse risk nearly 30 times higher than acceptable thresholds established bythe American Association of StateHighway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This risk went unassessed before the tragic March 2024 incident, which claimed the lives of six workers.

“Bridge safety is not just about engineering; it’s aboutproactive planning and long-term preservation,” says Alan Thomas, CEO of AMPP. “Wesupport efforts prioritizing risk evaluation and using specialized expertise in coatings and corrosion mitigation.”

As an organization representing over 35,500 materials protection and performance professionals across 170 countries, AMPP is criticalin ensuring the durability and safety of infrastructure assets. AMPP-certified experts work in a variety of sectors—including transportation, maritime, energy, and defense, among others—to mitigate material degradation, improve asset integrity, and extend service life.

The NTSB also urged collaboration among the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide additional guidance to bridge owners. AMPP says it stands ready to support such initiatives by sharing its technical resources and global network of qualified professionals.

To learn more about AMPP’s role in infrastructure protectionand professional certification programs, visit www.ampp.org.

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