LoadPath PDH — PE/NICET supplemental PDH (not FHWA/NBIS refresher training).

Home › 1-PDH Bridge Catalog › BR-I07

InspectionOnline self-study

Inspecting Steel Superstructures

1 PDH · about 60 minutes · Course no. BR-I07 · Instructor: Michael Craig, PE

About the instructor

Michael Craig, PE is Senior Vice President and Southeast Director at Strinteg Corporation, leading bridge inspection and structural engineering across eight states and Puerto Rico. In 27+ years he has inspected over 4,000 structures and completed 3,000+ load ratings and 160+ load tests. He has managed repair and preservation design for complex bridges, including cable-stayed bridges. He holds PE licenses in twelve states, DC and Puerto Rico, SPRAT Level 1, and FAA Part 107 credentials.

Steel bridges fail from corrosion, fatigue and fracture. This course focuses inspectors and engineers on where to look on steel superstructures and how to record findings that a load rater can use.

⬇ Download study guide (PDF)

Learning objectives

  • Identify corrosion, section loss and coating failure
  • Locate fatigue-prone and NSTM details
  • Measure and document section loss for rating
  • Inspect pins, hangers and connections

Outline

  1. Corrosion and section loss
  2. Coatings and weathering steel
  3. Fatigue-prone details
  4. NSTMs, pins and hangers
  5. Documentation for load rating
  6. Part A — Learning objectives and how to use this course
  7. Part B — How steel bridges deteriorate
  8. Part C — Planning the inspection
  9. Part D — Fatigue-prone details and how cracks show up
  10. Part E — Corrosion and section loss: measuring what the load rater needs
  11. Part F — Nonredundant steel tension members (NSTMs)
  12. Part G — Pin-and-hanger assemblies, gusset plates and trusses
  13. Part H — Bearings and beam ends
  14. Part I — Coatings and weathering steel
  15. Part J — Impact, heat and fire damage
  16. Part K — Lessons from failures
  17. Part L — Worked examples
  18. Part M — Nondestructive testing for steel
  19. Part N — From findings to ratings and element quantities
  20. Part O — When to call the structural engineer
  21. Part P — Frequently asked questions
  22. Part Q — Summary checklist
  23. Part R — Floor systems, cross frames and secondary members
  24. Part S — More examples for self-check
  25. Part T — Quick glossary
  26. Part U — Writing the steel findings so others can use them
  27. Part V — A reviewer's checklist for steel inspection reports
  28. Open the course (33 screens, 2 knowledge checks)
  29. Final quiz — 10 questions, 70% to pass

References

  1. FHWA, Bridge Inspector's Reference Manual (BIRM), FHWA-NHI-12-049, 2012 (as revised)
  2. AASHTO, Manual for Bridge Element Inspection, 2nd Edition, 2019
  3. FHWA Technical Advisory T 5140.22, Uncoated Weathering Steel in Structures, 1989
  4. FHWA, Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory (SNBI), FHWA-HIF-22-017, March 2022
  5. 23 CFR Part 650, Subpart C — National Bridge Inspection Standards (final rule published May 6, 2022)
  6. AASHTO, LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 9th Edition, 2020
  7. FHWA, Manual for Repair and Retrofit of Fatigue Cracks in Steel Bridges, FHWA-IF-13-020, 2013
  8. FHWA, Guide for Heat-Straightening of Damaged Steel Bridge Members, FHWA-IF-08-999, 2008
  9. FHWA, Load Rating Guidance and Examples for Bolted and Riveted Gusset Plates in Truss Bridges, FHWA-IF-09-014, 2009
  10. NCHRP Report 406, Redundancy in Highway Bridge Superstructures, 1998
  11. NCHRP Report 432, High-Load Multi-Rotational Bridge Bearings, 1999
  12. AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5, Bridge Welding Code (current edition)
  13. FHWA, Bridge Preservation Guide: Maintaining a Resilient Infrastructure to Preserve Mobility, FHWA-HIF-18-022, 2018
  14. FHWA, Steel Bridge Design Handbook, FHWA-HIF-16-002 (multi-volume), 2015