Design of Bridge Deck Drainage - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Design of Bridge Deck Drainage

Course Outline

This 6 hour course, “Design of Bridge Deck Drainage” will cover several topics including the rational method for determining the flow rate of Stormwater, bridge grade requirements, piping design and other topics that are essential to a safe and efficient design of bridge deck drainage. Several example problems are included to aid the student in solving problems that present themselves to the design of bridge deck drainage systems.

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 would have learned the following:

How to determine the rate of flow in triangular channels;
The recommended grades for bridges;
How to determine the runoff coefficient for various land types;
How car travel can effect natural rainfall intensity;
Characteristics that effects the efficiency of an inlet;
How to calculate inlet efficiency;
Speeds that cause hydroplaning;
How to determine inlet spacing along bridges;
The recommended minimum velocity for bridge storm drains;
How to determine the runoff using the rational method;
The most suitable end collectors for bridge piping systems;
How to determine the velocity of flow in circular pipes;
How to determine the driver visibility for various rainfall intensities;
How to determine the rainfall intensity for regions in the US;
The most suitable grates for bicycle travel;
How to determine a flood return period;
The time of concentration to be used for bridge deck drainage;
The most suitable location for bridge drainage cleanouts;
How to calculate the design spread on a bridge deck;
The most suitable storm frequency to be used for spread calculations;
How to calculate the time of concentration;
The minimum pipe sizes to be used for bridge drainage;
The roadway and vehicle conditions that effects hydroplaning; and
Maintenance considerations for bridge drainage systems.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for design of bridge deck drainage, roadway designers, hydrologists, hydraulic, transportation and environmental and municipal engineers, project managers, and any persons working in civil engineering field or anyone with an interest in the exciting and dynamic world of aviation and design of bridge deck drainage.

Benefit to Attendees

This course is designed so that the intended audience will benefit immediately with the rational method for determining the flow rate of Stormwater, bridge grade requirements, piping design and other topics that are essential to a safe and efficient design of bridge deck drainage.

Course Introduction

Stormwater drainage along bridges is important help ensure the safe movement of vehicular travel along the bridge. Most bridges are drained by a series of grates along the bridge that subsequently drains into a piping that may connect to a municipal storm drain system. An under-designed bridge in regards to its hydraulic capacity can cause water to collect on the bridge surface during rainfall events and cause water to spread into the travel lane which may cause hydroplaning.

This course, “Design of Bridge Deck Drainage” will cover several topics including the rational method for determining the flow rate of Stormwater, bridge grade requirements, piping design and other topics that are essential to a safe and efficient design of bridge deck drainage. Several example problems are included to aid the student in solving problems that present themselves to the design of bridge deck drainage systems.

Course Content

You will be directed to study the document “Design of Bridge Deck Drainage,” as published on the website of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Design of Bridge Deck Drainage

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

The information presented in this course will provide the reader with the knowledge that is essential to designing bridge deck drainage per the standards set forth by the FHWA.

Using good engineering judgment is always paramount in any situation. Utilizing good judgment and the knowledge gained in this course will aid the reader with the knowledge to be a success in design of bridge deck drainage systems.

Related Links

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

Federal Highway Administration:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

Unified Facilities Criteria:
http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/browse_cat.php?o=29&c=4

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
http://www.epa.gov/

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.