FHWA Bridge Maintenance Manual—Superstructure - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

FHWA Bridge Maintenance Manual—Superstructure

Course Outline

This five-hour online course discusses maintenance procedures for bridge superstructures. Procedures for jacking the superstructure, maintaining bridge bearings, strengthening and repairing damaged members, and preservation of members through surface treatments such as painting are described.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Be familiar with procedures for jacking the superstructure;
Be cognizant of principles of installation of a carrier beam;
Understand principles of sliding plate, roller, and rocker bearing maintenance;
Be familiar with pin and hanger bearing maintenance
Be familiar with elastomeric and pot bearing maintenance;
Understand principles of proper positioning for bearings;
Know methods for resetting or rehabilitating bearings;
Be familiar with the procedure for elevating bearings to increase vertical clearance;
Know how to repair damaged concrete beam ends;
Be familiar with the strengthening of concrete beams with fiber reinforced polymers strips for flexure;
Be cognizant of methods for strengthening concrete beam with reinforcing steel for shear;
Be familiar with the repair of damaged prestressed concrete beams, steel beams, and timber beams;
Know methods for maintenance and repair of steel trusses;
Know procedures for repair of tension members;
Be familiar with methods for replacement of compression members;
Understand principles of repair of damaged truss members;
Understand the principle of increasing the vertical clearance by modifying the portal bracing;
Know methods of heat straightening of damaged truss members;
Know paint systems for spot painting;
Be cognizant of methods for the preparation of the surface for painting;
Understand spot painting guidelines;
Be familiar with procedures for the care and storage of paint;
Know various types of defects in paint; and
Know properties of weathering steel.

Intended Audience

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 maintenance of bridges.

Benefit to Attendees

An attendee of this course will be familiar with and able to apply procedures for maintaining bridge superstructures.

Course Introduction

Maintenance is required on the total structure. Often the superstructure is the most difficult part of the structure to access and problems tend to be overlooked or ignored for this reason. Areas on the superstructure where maintenance is particularly important are the bearings, under joints, under drains, anon the fascia.

Course Content

This course is based on Chapter XI (Superstructure Maintenance Procedures) of the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Maintenance Training Reference Manual, Publication No. FHWA- NHI-03-045, March, 2003.

FHWA Bridge Maintenance Manual—Superstructure

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Course Summary

Various repair, strengthening, updating, and protective procedures are described in a manner that is useful in the maintenance of bridge superstructures.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/course_detail.aspx?num=FHWA-NHI-134029&topicnum=134

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.