From Tech Transfer Newsletter, Fall 2007 » printer-friendly

Resources from the Transportation Library:
Bridge Maintenance

By Rita Evans, Reference Librarian, Institute of Transportation Studies Library

TRB Syntheses and Reports

Cost-Effective Practices for Off-System and Local Interest Bridges

• Addresses the design, construction, maintenance, financing, rehabilitation and replacement of bridges owned and maintained by local agencies or located in rural areas. A particularly comprehensive review is provided on bridge strengthening and rehabilitation, including the use of fiber-reinforced polymers. Reviews administrative issues such as asset management and provides bridge and asset management concepts for areas with small populations. Discusses funding sources and environmental processes and requirements. Identifies numerous repair, rehabilitation and strengthening procedures, as well as replacement options.

Field Inspection of In-Service FRP Bridge Decks: Inspection Manual

• Addresses the challenge of decks which have been built using proprietary experimental systems by recommending uniform guidelines for inspection and condition evaluation of fiber reinforced polymer bridge decks. Provides information on FRP materials and compares them to conventional bridge materials, highlights important elements and details of FRP decks and related components, and provides methods for correlating such assessments to uniform rating factors for use in assessing bridge elements.

Manual on Service Life of Corrosion-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Bridge Superstructure Elements

• Provides step-by-step procedures for assessing the condition of reinforced concrete bridge superstructure elements, predicting the remaining service life of such elements, and quantifying service life extension expected from alternative maintenance and repair options.

Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems to Limit Traffic Disruption During Construction

• Presents information on the use of prefabricated systems and elements in bridge construction, rehabilitation and replacement, in regard to the system's design effort, on-site construction time, minimum lane closure time, and minimal environmental impact. Identifies the major problems that discourage use of innovative systems and elements.

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Papers

Rapid Rehabilitation or Replacement of Bridge Decks Under Concurrent Traffic Conditions

• Describes the investigation of conditions on Interstate bridges near Birmingham that show significant levels of deck cracking and deterioration. Notes that an evaluation of remaining life of steel girders must be done in conjunction with the deck investigation.

Bridge Conditions Inch Upward

• Provides an overview of the state of bridges in the U.S. Describes the use of materials and methods such as lightweight materials and hydro demolition to maintain structures. Notes that more resources—money, staff, local matching funds—are needed throughout the system. Includes a table showing the number of structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridges in each state.

Bridge D-a-s-h-e-r-s: Ohio Tried a Variety of Techniques to Speed Reconstruction of an Essential U.S. Highway Bridge

• Using a "Fast Track" program, Ohio replaced an aging, six-span structure in just 48 days. To reduce time, the project incorporated prefabricated materials, stay-in-place forms, high-performance materials and contractor incentives and disincentives to speed the pace of construction.

Bridging the Gap: Bridge Maintenance and Management in the New Millennium

• Provides a general overview of a proactive approach to bridge maintenance for public works departments. Outlines in brief how to create a business plan and budget proposal prior to implementing a bridge management program.

Rapid Bridge Replacement under Emergency Situation: Case Study

• Identifies strategies and technologies used to quickly restore damaged bridges through a review of twenty case studies.

"Bridge Management Systems" in The Handbook of Highway Engineering

• Describes the components and functions of bridge management systems. Outlines the major provisions of the National Bridge Inventory System (NBIS) and bridge condition data collection. Uses regression models and Markov chain approach for performance analysis and prediction. Describes cost-benefit analysis, optimization methods and ranking methods used to make decisions regarding maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement of bridges.

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Caltrans Publications

Caltrans Division of Maintenance, Structure Maintenance and Investigations (SM&I)

California Log of Bridges on State Highways

• Lists all bridges and other highway structures on California's State Highway System.

Local Agency Bridge List

• Lists detailed information about bridges maintained by local agencies in California.

Paint Condition Index for State Bridges

Paint Condition Index for Local Bridges

• Ranks conditions on a 0-100 scale and weighs quantity and condition states of painted elements as well as the importance of that element in the bridge. SM&I inspectors make paint work recommendations for PCI rankings less than 65.

Element Inspection

• Lists numbered elements (e.g., concrete deck, pier wall, steel culvert). For each, describes ranked conditions and feasible actions.

Bridge Design Specifications

• Specifications cover loads, foundations, retaining walls, culverts, substructures and materials.

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About the UC Berkeley Transportation Library

Most of the items listed in this article are available from the UC Berkeley Transportation Library. Visit the Library website for more information about the library or to request access.

Employees of California public sector transportation agencies at the local, state, and regional levels, including federal agencies located in California, are eligible to request anything in the transportation library's catalog for free. The library will even provide up to 50 pages of photocopies of articles from journals, trade magazines, or conference reports, or scan and e-mail the requested material.

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