E – 1688 FHWA Bridge Inspector’s Manual: Primer on Bridge Terminology and Mechanics

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.

This course is intended primarily for civil, construction, and structural engineers, and would be of particular interest to consulting engineers or to engineers serving in government organizations concerned with the safety of bridges.

This 6-hour course is based on Chapter 3 (Basic Bridge Terminology) and Chapter 5 (Bridge Mechanics) of the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Inspector’s Reference Manual, Publication No. FHWA NHI 12-049, December, 2012.