The Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Inspector’s Reference Manual (BIRM) is a comprehensive manual on programs, procedures, and techniques for inspecting and evaluating a variety of in-service highway bridges. BIRM serves as the basis of a comprehensive National Highway Institute training program in bridge-safety inspection. The present 6-PDH course is based on BIRM’s Chapter 3, Bridge Terminology, and Chapter 5, Bridge Mechanics, and discusses

1. major bridge components and elements;
2. characteristics of decks, superstructures, and substructures;
3. bridge response to loadings;
4. bridge design methods, ratings, and span classifications;
5. redundancy in bridge design; and
6. bridge foundations.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to recognize the major bridge components and shapes.
• Learn the common connections.
• Become aware of the characteristics of decks, superstructures, and substructures.
• Become familiar with the types and function of bearings.
• Understand a bridge’s response to loadings
• Learn about bridge design loadings and bridge design methods;
• Become familiar with bridge ratings, span classifications, and bridge roadway interactions;
• Understand the concept of redundancy as it applies to bridge design; and
• Become familiar with the various types of bridge foundations.