Print this page FHWA Bridge Inspector's Manual Section 2.2—Bridge Materials (Concrete)
Mark P. Rossow, PhD, PE Retired
Course Outline
This four-hour online course discusses 1) properties of concrete (physical and mechanical), 2) reinforced concrete, 3) prestressed concrete, 4) types of concrete deterioration(cracks, scaling, delamination, spalling, efflorescence, and wear), 5) protective systems(paints and membranes), and 6) inspection procedures for concrete and protective coatings (visual and physical; areas to inspect).
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 portland cement, aggregates, and admixtures;
- Know physical and mechanical properties of concrete;
- Be familiar with high performance concrete;
- Be knowledgeable about reinforced and prestressed concrete;
- Be familiar with cracks, scaling, delamination, spalling, chloride contamination, and other types of deterioration;
- Be familiar with wear, collision and overload damage, abrasion, reinforcing steel corrosion;
- Know prestressed concrete deterioration;
- Be familiar with other causes of deterioration: temperature changes, chemical attack, moisture absorption, differential foundation movement;
- Understand the factors affecting design and construction deficiencies;
- Know types and characteristics of concrete coatings;
- Be cognizant of types and characteristics of reinforcement coatings; and
- Know visual and physical examination procedures.
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 safety of bridges.
Benefit to Attendees
An attendee of this course will be familiar with the characteristics of concrete as it is used in bridges and will be able to apply this knowledge in bridge inspections.
Course Introduction
A large percentage of the bridge structures in the nation’s highway network are constructed of reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete. It is important that the bridge inspector understand the basic characteristics of concrete in order to efficiently inspect and evaluate a concrete bridge structure.
Course Content
This course is based on BIRM’s Section 2.2 (Bridge Materials-Concrete)of the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Inspector’s Reference Manual, Publication No. FHWA NHI 03-001, October, 2002, Revised December, 2006.
FHWA Bridge Inspector's Manual Section 2.2—Bridge Materials (Concrete)
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Course Summary
The characteristics of concrete as they pertain to bridges are described in a manner useful for conducting inspection of concrete bridges.
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/bripro.htm
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.
