Bridge Inspector’s Reference Manual (BIRM)

This document, the Bridge Inspector’s Reference Manual (BIRM), is a comprehensive reference manual on programs, procedures, and techniques for inspecting and evaluating a variety of in-service highway bridges. It was intended to replace the Bridge Inspector’s Reference Training Manual (BITM) 90 which was first published in 1991 to assist in training highway personnel for the new discipline of bridge safety inspection. BITM 90 replaced BITM 70 which had been in use for 20 years and has been the basis for several training programs varying in length from a few days to two weeks. The BIRM is a revision and upgrade of the previous manual conforming with FHWA Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory (SNBI). Improved bridge inspection techniques are presented, and state-of-the-art inspection equipment is included. New or expanded coverage is provided on culverts, nonredundant members, fatigue-prone details, redundancy, cable stayed bridges, prestressed segmental bridges, movable bridge inspection, underwater inspection, and nondestructive evaluation, critical findings, and inspection intervals. A series of NHI courses on bridge inspection, based on the BIRM, have been developed. These courses include a two-week course, FHWA-NHI-130055, “Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges” and a one-week course designed specifically for professional engineers (PEs), FHWA-NHI-130056, “Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges for Professional Engineers.” Together, these two courses meet the definition of approved comprehensive training in bridge inspection as defined in the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). The catalog for NHI Courses can be found on the National Highway Institute website: www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov

• Record URL:
  https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbis/pubs/nhi23024.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/71829
• Corporate Authors:

  Michael Baker International

  Airside Business Park, 100 Airside Drive
  Moon Township, PA  United States  15108

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Highway Institute

  Vienna, VA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Ryan, Thomas W
  • Lloyd, Cassandra E
  • Pichura, Michael S
  • Tarasovich, Darrin M
  • Fitzgerald, Sandy
• Publication Date: 2023-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Glossary; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 1412p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Culverts; Highway bridges; Inspection; Inspectors; Training
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Education and Training; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01889673
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: NHI-23-024
• Contract Numbers: DTFH6117D00036L–693JJ318F000369
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 7 2023 8:44AM