Design Criteria for Bridges

The purpose of this section is to provide guidance to highway bridge designers for application of standard design specifications to the more common types of bridges and to provide rules of thumb to assist in obtaining cost-effective and safe structures. Because of the complexity of modern specifications for bridge design and construction and the large number of standards and guides with which designers must be familiar to ensure adequate designs, this section does not provide comprehensive treatment of all types of bridges. Because specifications are continually being revised, readers are cautioned to use the latest edition, including interims, in practical applications.

Part 1. Application of Criteria for Cost-Effective Highway Bridge

1.1. Standard Specifications
1.2. Design Methods
1.3. Primary Design Considerations
1.4. Highway Design Loadings
1.5. Load Combinations and Effects
1.6. Nominal Resistance for LRFD
1.7. Distribution of Loads through Decks
1.8. Basic Allowable Stresses for Bridges
1.9. Fracture Control
1.10. Repetitive Loadings
1.11. Detailing for Earthquakes
1.12. Detailing for Buckling
1.13. Criteria for Built-Up Tension Members
1.14. Criteria for Built-Up Compression Members
1.15. Plate Girders and Cover-Plated Rolled Beams
1.16. Composite Construction with I Girders
1.17. Cost-Effective Plate-Girder Designs
1.18. Box Girders
1.19. Hybrid Girders
1.20. Orthotropic-Deck Bridges
1.21. Span Lengths and Deflections
1.22. Bearings
1.23. Detailing for Weldability
1.24. Stringer or Girder Spacing
1.25. Bridge Decks
1.26. Elimination of Expansion Joints in Highway Bridges
1.27. Bridge Steels and Corrosion Protection
1.28. Constructability
1.29. Inspectability
1.30. Reference Materials

Part 2. Railroad Bridge Design

1.31. Standard Specifications
1.32. Design Method
1.33. Owners Concerns
1.34. Design Considerations
1.35. Design Loadings
1.36. Composite Steel and Concrete Spans
1.37. Basic Allowable Stresses
1.38. Fatigue Design
1.39. Fracture Critical Members
1.40. Impact Test Requirements for Structural Steel
1.41. General Design Provisions
1.42. Compression Members
1.43. Stay Plates
1.44. Members Stressed Primarily in Bending
1.45. Other Considerations