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Some head-scratching and an innovative solution saved a corroding bridge in Saline County, Kansas.

This report describes the best practices used in developing cost estimates and provides guidance for overseeing the development of such estimates. It serves as a line of communication among different State and Federal agencies involved in the creation and oversight of cost estimates. Private parties, such as contractors and consultants, can also benefit from the product of this research. The final products of this report are a series of flowcharts and checklists designed to aid agency personnel in overseeing cost estimates at a program and project level and aid in developing and overseeing cost estimates at multiple stages of projects and programs.

This website will serve as your one-stop shop for FHWA’s implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including everything from fact sheets and funding notices to guidance, regulations, and presentations.

This article will explain the benefits of building a bottomless culvert as well as some solutions to potential scour at these structures.

This document provides guidance for the installation, inspection, maintenance, and repair of structural supports for highway signs, luminaires, and traffic signals. The primary purpose is to provide owners with information that can assist them in managing their inventory, identifying potential problem areas, and ensuring safe and satisfactory performance of these types of ancillary highway structures. The primary reason for compiling this guidance is increasing problems with wind-induced vibration, fatigue, and even structural collapse of these support systems. Documented problems with these structures include questionable design and details, poor fabrication practices, and poor installation techniques.

This guide defines bridge preservation terms and identifies commonly practiced bridge preservation activities. It also provides guidance to State governments and other bridge-owning agencies on establishing or improving existing bridge preservation programs as part of an asset management program.

This report presents the summary and synthesis of the various components of the experimental study entitled “Effects of Gradation and Cohesion on Bridge Scour” which was conducted at Colorado State University between the dates 1991 through 1996.

Describes criteria and considerations for restoration, financial assistance available for restoration, and highlights a bridge restoration project in Wichita.

Wheelpath rutting prevents rapid drainage of water from the pavement surface and causes hydroplaning. Deeply rutted pavements are associated with driver fatigue, vehicle steering problems, and vehicle wear. This report reviews state-of-the-practice methods for repairing rutted asphalt concrete pavements. Information sources included technical literature, paving industry representatives, and highway agency personnel. The report describes methods for repairing ruts but does not address all rutting mechanisms. It covers tire abrasion rutting and plastic deformation of asphalt concrete. Rutting from the deformation of unbound layers is not addressed. Reasons for targeting specific rut damage types are explained.

This manual provides guidance to those involved with all aspects of the work, from initial inspection and evaluation, through the engineering of rehabilitation, to construction issues. Broadly speaking, this manual covers general terminology and the historic development of covered bridges. The manual also addresses loads, structural analysis, connections, and design issues. The last six chapters contain discussions of evaluation, maintenance, strengthening, and preservation of existing covered bridges; historic considerations of existing structures; and provide a state-of-the-art guide on wood preservatives for covered bridges. Historic preservation requirements as they relate to the U.S. Department of Interior standards for these important and unusual structures also are provided. The appendices include an extensive series of case studies.

This document contains the results of Task D, Best Practices Guidelines for the Culvert Repair Best Practices, Specifications, and Special Provisions Guidelines Project. These guidelines will provide guidance to Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) engineers in making better decisions on culvert repairs. New materials specifications, special provisions, and standard details will ensure adherence to standardized practices and increase the effectiveness and longevity of repairs. The focus is on the repair of centerline culverts of 24 inches to 72 inches in diameter.

This publication quantitatively analyzes the geomorphic and structure controls on channel bed and footing scour at road-stream crossings and the effectiveness of aquatic organism passage at these crossings by comparing channel characteristics within the crossing structure to reference channel conditions not influenced by the structure. From this analysis, it is possible to determine design, construction, stream, and channel conditions that contributed to the success or failure of the installation for aquatic organism passage and scour resistance. Seventeen representative case studies are presented in appendix A.

Drilled shafts are increasingly being used in supporting critical structures, mainly because of their high-load supporting capacities, relatively low construction noise, and technological advancement in detecting drilled shaft anomalies created during construction. The critical importance of drilled shafts as foundations makes it mandatory to detect the size and location of anomalies and assess their potential effect on drilled shaft capacity.

This study was designed to provide critical information for county commissioners or practicing engineers by providing critical information including: (1)Where structurally deficient bridges on low-volume roads are located in Kansas; (2) How long is the shortest drivable detour if the bridge were to be closed; (3) Whether to recommend closing or repair/replace a bridge based on detour length and Average Daily Traffic (ADT); and (4) Results of a state-wide survey of country road supervisors, county engineers their experience with closing a rural bridge on a very low-volume roadway.

A basic framework for discussion between commissioners and engineers in determining if a rural county network of roads and bridges could obtain a cost-benefit from being downsized. Based on research conducted in Kansas.

A steel fascia beam mount was developed for use with the side-mounted Illinois two-tube bridge rail. The modified post-mount design was shown through physical testing to provide equal or greater stiffness as the original post-mount and should therefore result in equivalent or better crash performance for the system when installed on steel bridges with fascia beams of size W14x30 and larger. An additional consideration for the design included a release mechanism for the post-mount to ensure that excessive forces are not transferred to the bridge superstructure during high severity impacts (e.g., heavy truck impacts). This modified design is eligible for use on federal-aid reimbursement projects as an NCHRP Report 350 TL3 system.

Excess moisture has been identified as a cause for stripping, raveling, debonding, and rutting in flexible pavement [ODOT, 2016a]. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been getting substantially less than the expected 15-year service life after a resurfacing project, particularly on those routes without drainage. Providing drainage may help mitigate the premature failures ODOT is seeing on its rural routes. Section 205 of the 2016 Ohio DOT Pavement Design Manual (PDM) requires subsurface drainage on all new projects and recommends aggregate drains be used with bituminous surface treated and aggregate shoulders.

Bridges and structures are key components of the nation’s roadway network that provide transportation connectivity to safely cross features such as waterways, railways, roadways, and other obstacles. The FHWA Office of Bridges and Structures provides national policy and technical guidance related to the design, construction, inspection, evaluation, management, and preservation of the nation’s inventory of highway bridges, tunnels, culverts, walls, and other ancillary structures. This is done through regulations published in the code of federal regulations and in supporting policy documents such as memos and technical advisories.

The Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) program was created to identify, collect, and analyze research quality data on the most critical aspects of bridge performance. To complete a thorough investigation of bridge performance issues, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsored the “FHWA Workshop to Identify Bridge Substructure Performance Issues” in Orlando, FL, from March 4 to 6, 2010. The workshop included participants from FHWA, State transportation departments, academia, industry, and consultants. The workshop had three focal points: (1) identify bridge performance issues impacted by geotechnical factors, (2) identify data needs and data gaps related to the geotechnical performance issues, and (3) identify tools, technology development, and monitoring to address the data needs and data gaps. This report describes the results and recommendations of the workshop and presents them in the larger perspective of designing and implementing the LTBP program.

Bridges and structures are key components of the nation’s roadway network that provide transportation connectivity to safely cross features such as waterways, railways, roadways, and other obstacles. The FHWA Office of Bridges and Structures provides national policy and technical guidance related to the design, construction, inspection, evaluation, management, and preservation of the nation’s inventory of highway bridges, tunnels, culverts, walls, and other ancillary structures. This is done through regulations published in the code of federal regulations and in supporting policy documents such as memos and technical advisories.

The Office of Operations' publications are listed under their respective program areas. The publications with links are available in electronic format only. For those publications that do not have links, please contact the program specialist shown to obtain a copy of the publication.

This is an ongoing study of the long-term performance sheet drains at three sites in Oregon and Northern California.

Determining whether slope damage can be completed by local engineers or requires outside help remains a challenge for county road departments that often lack geotechnical expertise.

This field guide provides field personnel with introductory guidance on installation and removal methods for temporary traffic control (TTC) zones. Proper setup and operation of temporary traffic control zones improve the safety of those working near traffic and are of the utmost importance. It is important to remember that temporary traffic control field personnel are most vulnerable during the installation and removal of temporary traffic control devices.

A significant proportion of the U.S. bridge inventory is based on bonded post-tensioned (PT) concrete construction. An important aspect of maintaining corrosion protection of these PT systems is assuring that tendon ducts are properly grouted with an acceptable material. Grout is a cementitious material typically used to provide corrosion protection to the strands used in PT concrete bridges. However, inspections have revealed fractured strands and, in some cases, failed tendons as a consequence of corrosion, even with the newer prepackaged, preapproved thixotropic grouts. Studies to date have attributed this corrosion to physical or chemical grout deficiencies (or both), the former consisting of air voids, free water, and unhardened, segregated, or separated grout and the latter of chloride concentration in excess of what is specified by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and other specifications.

Preserve and Enhance United States Tunnel Engineering Expertise.

Hydraulic Design Series Number 5 (HDS 5) originally merged culvert design information contained in Hydraulic Engineering Circulars (HEC) 5, 10, and 13 with other related hydrologic, storage routing and special culvert design information. This third edition is the first major rewrite of HDS 5 since 1985, updating all previous information and adding new information on software solutions, aquatic organism passage, culvert assessment, and culvert repair and rehabilitation. The result is a comprehensive culvert design publication. The appendices of the publication contain the equations and methodology used in developing the design charts (nomographs) and software programs, information on hydraulic resistance of culverts, the commonly used design charts, and Design Guidelines (DG) illustrating various culvert design calculation procedures. The number of design charts provided has been reduced recognizing the increased use of software solutions; however, the full set of culvert design charts will continue to be available in the archived second edition of HDS 5

This document provides technical information and guidance on the hydraulic analysis and design of bridges. The goal is to provide information such that bridges can be designed as safely as possible while optimizing costs and limiting impacts to property and the environment. Many significant aspects of bridge hydraulic design are discussed. These include regulatory topics, specific approaches for bridge hydraulic modeling, hydraulic model selection, bridge design impacts on scour and stream instability, and sediment transport.

This report documents the economic impact of heavy truck traffic related to energy development on the nation’s roads and bridges.

This report contains the proceedings of a workshop held in Chicago on October 31 and November 1, 2002. The workshop covered structures, pavements, asset management, and stakeholder involvement.

The objective of this Tech Brief is to describe the bridge performance issues that will be studied under the LTBP Program, including how they were identified and prioritized with the assistance of bridge owners and other key stakeholders in the bridge community. It is intended for bridge owners and the bridge community at large (i.e., bridge engineers, bridge inspectors, and bridge asset managers) interested in the activities of the LTBP Program.

This report presents the results of a study of the effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors used in the repair of reinforced concrete bridge components. The study included bridges in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Minnesota.

A low water stream crossing (LWSC) can be a low-cost and viable alternative to a culvert or bridge, in some cases. LWSCs are particularly suitable for low-volume roads across streams where the normal volume of flow is relatively low. This fact sheet describes what may be helpful to you in designing and signing your low water crossings.

This guide provides a simplified approach to low water stream crossing selection and design. While it covers the use of these crossings specifically in the state of Iowa, most of the information is general and is useful for any location.

Comprehensive instructions for correctly constructing and maintaining ditches, culverts, and various surface cross drains.

A MnDOT study on whether drones can help bridge inspectors.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation recently completed a study to examine the effectiveness of drone technology as it applies to bridge safety inspections.

Summary of 2022 NBIS Updates (Section-by-section discussion)

The main objective of the scanning activity was to evaluate the European inventory of prestressed concrete segmental and cable-stayed bridges. On average, European structures are a decade or two older than similar ones in the United States. Members of the scan team examined durability; identified possible future needs for maintenance, repair and retrofit, and replacement; and compared trends and current practice.

This article includes basic tips on sizing pipes correctly, good installation techniques, and preparation needed for installing culverts.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the US DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration is a compact resource that provides snapshots of data on the U.S. transportation system and highlights major transportation trends.

The prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES) cost study documents the details related to savings in time and money on nine PBES projects in states across the country. All nine projects are replacement projects, and as such reducing the impact of onsite construction on motorists was a priority. Each project is an example of how various combinations of prefabrication and effective contracting strategies were used to achieve the accelerated onsite construction timeline.

The prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES) cost study documents the details related to savings in time and money on nine PBES projects in states across the country. All nine projects are replacement projects, and as such reducing the impact of onsite construction on motorists was a priority. Each project is an example of how various combinations of prefabrication and effective contracting strategies were used to achieve the accelerated onsite construction timeline.

A concise brochure that outlines the steps involved in acquiring the right of way in Kansas. Easy to understand and follow.

With steel bridges representing approximately 34 percent of the nearly 600,000 highway bridges in the United States, continual monitoring and early detection of deterioration in these structures is vital to prevent expensive repairs or catastrophic failures. Developing a solution for autonomous crack monitoring is the goal of “Low-Cost Self-Powered Wireless Nanosensors for Real-Time Structural Integrity Monitoring of Steel Bridges,” an Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program project launched by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2009 and conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

This report documents the history and rehabilitation of the Hammond covered bridge.

Provides a snapshot of how to install a railroad tank car culvert, along with the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of drainage system.

This article covers some of the complicated issues of road drainage law and maintenance practices. Written by Norm Bowers.

Many of the bridges in the state of Iowa have type "CF", "EE", or "EF" expansion joints installed in the bridge approach slabs. These joints, which are typically 4 wide, are currently filled with a foam expansion joint material that is covered with a sealant. Over time the sealant begins to pull off of the walls of the joint and it ultimately fails. The joint, which is now exposed to the weather, is then filled with water and solids. The foam joint material, which is lighter than water, floats out of the joint onto the highway. This foam resembles a large 4 X 6 plank and poses a threat to motorists. A possible solution to this problem would be to replace the foam material with rubber buffings. Rubber buffings are a by-product of the tire retread industry.

This guide was issued to provide guidelines for the construction of the geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system (GRS-IBS). Refer to Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System Interim Implementation Guide for GRS-IBS design and construction guidelines.