This course offers students the basic concepts of bridge engineering, beginning with an overview of typical bridge classes and design considerations.  Information from various engineering and scientific disciplines is integrated to provide a rational approach for design and evaluation of bridge systems under earthquake and other extreme loading.  Students will be introduced to current design standards, including load and resistance factor design (LRFD), analysis methods, and reliability-based code calibration. The latter half of the course will introduce retrofit and rehabilitation methods, as well as seismic risk assessment methods for bridges and transportation systems.

• Priestley, et al. (1996). Seismic Design and Retrofit of Bridges, John Wiley & Sons.
• Barker and Puckett (2007). Design of Highway Bridges, an LRFD Approach, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons.
• Tonias and Zhao (2007). Bridge Engineering: Design, Rehabilitation, and Maintenance of Modern Highway Bridges, 2nd ed. McGraw Hill.
• Yanev (2007). Bridge Management, John Wiley & Sons.
• Chopra (2007). Dynamics of Structures, 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Melchers (1999). Structural Reliability Analysis and Prediction, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons.
• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (2007). AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 4th ed.
• FHWA (2006). Seismic Retrofitting Manual for Highway Structures: Part 1-Bridges,
• Publication No. FHWA-HRT-06-032.