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

FHWA Bridge Maintenance Manual—Main Concepts and Management

Course Outline

This five-hour online course provides an introduction to the objectives of bridge maintenance and the importance of preventative maintenance. Also discussed at length are management issues such as scheduling, reporting, quality control, budgeting, types of contracts, cost comparison of contracting vs. in-house, and performance monitoring.

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 the definition of bridge maintenance;
Be cognizant of objectives of bridge maintenance;
Understand the importance of location of a bridge maintenance group within a DOT organization;
Know the levels of bridge maintenance;
Know common preventive maintenance tasks;
Be familiar with the importance of preventive maintenance;
Know asset management vs. maintenance management;
Understand principles of long-range planning/scheduling;
Know methods of short-term scheduling;
Be familiar with job execution;
Be familiar with manpower, equipment, and materials;
Be cognizant of report requirements;
Know the impact of reporting procedures;
Be familiar with contracts: lump sum, unit price, cost reimbursement, and negotiated;
Understand principles of cost comparison – contracting vs. in-house;
Understand principles of quality control at the worksite;
Understand principles of technical site review;
Know the technique of rigging and climbing site review;
Be cognizant of tools and equipment-use site review;
Understand budget and schedule monitoring; and
Know methods of quality insurance.

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 know general principles of bridge maintenance and the management of bridge-maintenance projects.

Course Introduction

The traditional approach to bridge maintenance has been that bridges were built and then deferred until they became obsolete or the road was upgraded or relocated. Bridge maintenance was performed as a part of roadway maintenance with minimum attention and resources. Large traffic volumes, heavier loads, and the use of deicing chemicals have accelerated bridge deterioration in recent years. Bridges are now deteriorating faster than they are being repaired or maintained. Agencies have recognized the fact that the tremendous investment in existing bridges has to be preserved. Bridges are critical links in our transportation system and states cannot afford to replace them at the rate at which they are deteriorating.

Course Content

This course is based on Chapters I (Introduction), IV (Bridge Maintenance Concepts), and V (Bridge Maintenance Management) of the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Maintenance Training Reference Manual, Publication No. FHWA-NHI-03-045, March, 2003.

FHWA Bridge Maintenance Manual—Main Concepts and Management

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Course Summary

Various repair, updating, and replacement procedures are described that are useful in the maintenance of bridge decks.

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.