Basic Bridge Terminology

Course Description:

The Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Inspectors 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

·         Major bridge components and elements

·         Characteristics of decks, superstructures, and substructures

·         Bridge response to loadings

·         Bridge design methods, ratings, and span classification

·         Redundancy in bridge design

·         Bridge foundations

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• 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 of function of bearings
• Understand a bridges response to loadings
• Learn about bridges design loadings and bridge design methods
• Become familiar with bridge ratings, span classification, and bridge roadway interactions
• Understand the concepts of redundancy as it applies to bridge design
• Become familiar with the various types of bridge foundations