Chapter 1

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

SCDOT BRIDGE DESIGN MANUAL

April 2006

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

Table of Contents Section 1.1 Page

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ...................................................................................1-1 1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.3 1.1.4 1.1.5 State Bridge Design Engineer..................................................................1-1 Seismic Design and Bridge Design Support Team..................................1-2 Bridge Design Teams...............................................................................1-3 Project Coordination Section ...................................................................1-5 Geotechnical Design Section ...................................................................1-5

April 2006

1-i

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

1-ii

April 2006

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

CHAPTER 1 BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

This Chapter presents the organization of the Bridge Design Section and discusses the responsibilities of the functional units within the Section.

1.1

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION

In general, as part of the Preconstruction Division, the Bridge Design Section is responsible for the design and project coordination for new bridges, bridge widenings and, occasionally, bridge rehabilitation projects. Figure 1.1-1 illustrates the functional organization of the Bridge Design Section. The following discusses the responsibilities of each functional unit within the Bridge Design Section.

SCDOT BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION Figure 1.1-1

1.1.1

State Bridge Design Engineer

The State Bridge Design Engineer is responsible for the overall engineering, administrative, and management activities of the Bridge Design Section. The State Bridge Design Engineer establishes overall Department structural policies and determines the Sections coordination with units outside of the Bridge Design Section. The functional responsibilities of the State Bridge Design Engineer are to:

lead the administrative and management activities for the Bridge Design Section (e.g., develop budgets, manpower management, schedule meetings); develop work programs for bridge projects for inclusion in the Departments annual and 5-year program of projects;

April 2006

1-1

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

participate in professional organizations related to bridge design (AASHTO, TRB, AWS, etc.) to represent the Department s interests and concerns; oversee the development of:
+

new and revised sheets for structural designs in the SCDOT Bridge Drawings and Details, available at the SCDOT website; revisions to the SCDOT Bridge Design Manual; structural specifications (in a participation role) for the SCDOT Standard Specifications for Highway Construction; and the structural design criteria used by the Bridge Design Section;

+ +

determine the Bridge Design Sections appropriate participation in public hearings and public informational meetings for projects where the Bridge Design Section is the lead unit; remain abreast of the key issues on individual bridge projects; determine the Bridge Design Sections course of action for any special studies, reports, etc., upon request from the State Highway Engineer, FHWA, etc; serve as the Sections focal point for coordination with FHWA, other SCDOT units, etc.; provide final approval to all structural plans; ensure that work is implemented according to the Bridge Design Sections policies and that it complies with the appropriate design standards and criteria; and ensure that the project design and construction plans are completed on schedule.

1.1.2

Seismic Design and Bridge Design Support Team

The Seismic Design and Bridge Design Support Team is responsible for seismic training and for maintaining the SCDOT Seismic Design Specifications for Highway Bridges and its compliance and updates. The Seismic Design and Bridge Design Support Team supports the Bridge Design Teams with any seismic-related issues from the preliminary stages of the bridge projects until the structural design is complete. The Seismic Design and Bridge Design Support Team also works closely with the Geotechnical Design Section to ensure consistency between the structural and geotechnical seismic-related elements of the design. The Seismic Design and Bridge Design Support Team is responsible for the following:

1-2

reviews preliminary and 95% bridge plans and provides comments to ensure compliance with the Departments seismic requirements;
April 2006

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

monitors the latest developments in seismic design of bridges by active participation in committees and workshops; overviews seismic research projects (e.g., the SCDOT Seismic Hazard Maps); works with FHWA in special studies (e.g., Lifelines) and related transportation networks and the Forensic Engineering Implementation Response Plan; and provides support to the Bridge Construction Office and the Office of Materials and Research.

1.1.3

Bridge Design Teams

The Bridge Design Teams are the Bridge Design Sections focal point for the preparation of all in-house structural designs. The Bridge Design Teams have the day-to-day responsibility to develop structural plans from project inception to letting. The Bridge Design Teams perform the designs, conduct structural analyses of the proposed structures, prepare the bridge plans, and compute bid quantities for bridge projects. The Teams are responsible for reviewing and checking the plans for completeness and accuracy. The specific functional responsibilities of the Bridge Design Teams are to prepare in-house structural designs for all types of highway bridges, including:

the determination of applicable loads to the bridge; the design of flat slabs (structural analysis, reinforcement, etc.); the design of prestressed concrete superstructures (structural analysis, flexural strength, shear, bearings, etc.); the design of structural steel superstructures (structural analysis, splices, diaphragms, fasteners, girder design, etc.); the design of substructures and foundations (bents, piles, footings, drilled shafts, etc.); the design of all structural elements to meet the Departments seismic performance criteria; coordinating with the Road Design Section to develop the geometric design of the structure (bridge widths, vertical clearances, etc.); the design of bridge appurtenances (bridge rails, sidewalks, fencing, etc.); the rehabilitation of existing bridges; attending field reviews;
1-3

April 2006

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

attending project meetings; meeting the project schedule and man-hour estimates; assisting in the preparation of the contract documents for structural items, including construction plans, Special Provisions, construction quantities, and engineering cost estimates; remaining abreast of state-of-the-art-technology in bridge design through review of AASHTO, TRB, FHWA, etc., publications, and investigating the use of new bridge design techniques; as directed by the State Bridge Design Engineer, investigating and implementing revisions to the:
+ +

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual, and SCDOT Bridge Drawings and Details, available at the SCDOT website;

providing technical support for structural designs for bridge projects on non-State facilities that are funded by State and/or Federal dollars; serving as a technical resource in structural designs for county and city government bridge projects; in coordination with the Construction Division, reviewing and approving construction shop plans, shop drawings, working drawings, and working plans; in coordination with the Construction Division, reviewing Value Engineering proposals from Contractors; and reviewing and commenting on construction change orders when requested by the Construction Division.

The Bridge Design Section staff that develops cost estimates is responsible for the following for in-house projects:

developing Supplemental Specifications and Special Provisions; working with the Construction Division on revisions and updates to the SCDOT Standard Specifications for Highway Construction; monitoring unit bid prices for construction; preparing the Engineers Estimate for structural design projects; performing a cost analysis for each bridge construction contract; and reviewing the Construction Cost Estimates.
April 2006

1-4

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

1.1.4

Project Coordination Section

The Project Coordination Section is responsible for all projects funded through the FHWA Highway Bridge Program (HBP) for which the Bridge Design Section is the lead unit. This applies to HBP projects that are either designed in-house or with a design consultant. The basic responsibility of the Project Coordination Section is to handle the management and administration of HBP projects to ensure that these projects are developed on schedule and within budget and that project development meets all SCDOT requirements and complies with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, etc. More specifically, the Project Coordination Section is responsible for:

coordinating with other units (internal and external to SCDOT) for all activities necessary for project design (e.g., environmental evaluation, right-of-way, hydraulics, permits, roadway design); initiating the consultant selection process; preparing man-hour and cost estimates for in-house and Consultant designs; and managing and administering HBP projects designed by a Consultant.

1.1.5

Geotechnical Design Section

The Geotechnical Design Section is responsible for all geotechnical requirements of the Department for both roadway and bridge projects. For bridge projects, the Sections responsibilities include:

developing a soil exploration plan; preparing the Preliminary Geotechnical Report (PGR) to assist in the selection of a bridge foundation type and to perform a preliminary seismic analysis/evaluation; identifying the proposed boring locations and anticipated foundation type; requesting the field exploration to gather the geotechnical data; preparing the Bridge Geotechnical Report (BGR) (based on the geotechnical subsurface exploration data, preliminary bridge plans, and loads computed by the Bridge Design Team), which provides the necessary geotechnical parameters for the Bridge Design Teams to perform the detailed foundation design; assisting the Construction Division by preparing pile driving criteria; assisting the Construction Division in reviewing pile and drill shaft installation plans; assisting the Construction Division and bridge designer in determining acceptance of asbuilt drilled shafts and piles; and
1-5

April 2006

SCDOT Bridge Design Manual

BRIDGE DESIGN SECTION ORGANIZATION

assisting the Construction Division and bridge designer in determining drilled shaft and pile production lengths based on field load tests.

For roadway projects, the Geotechnical Design Sections responsibilities include:

performing site surveys as needed in the project area; requesting field investigations (i.e., in-situ field tests, gathering samples for laboratory analysis); identifying geotechnical properties and parameters for embankment design; recommending subgrade treatments for pavement section support; gathering geotechnical data to determine the stability of fill and cut earth slopes and of rock cuts; recommending slope stabilization methods; conducting external stability analyses for retaining walls; and working with the Construction Division to address geotechnical issues that arise during construction.

1-6

April 2006