Description

State departments of transportation (DOTs) are held responsible by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to inspect all bridges every two years, including the off-system, county-owned structures. Individual county and city bridges must also cooperate with the State DOT on the inspections and actual maintenance work done to address the findings of the inspections. Tribes, however, are responsible for both the inspection and maintenance of their own bridges.

This course will provide you with the foundational information you need to ensure that your local bridges are safe to cross over by conducting regular inspections and then fixing the items found that reduce the good operation of the structure.

This course explains the importance of timely and cost-effective preventive bridge maintenance activities and strategies, as well as what can happen to bridges that are not properly maintained. It concludes with an overview of bridge maintenance planning and scheduling tools and activities, and how agencies can manage bridge maintenance tasks.

 Topics covered

• Bridge Framework
• Bridge Inspection
• Importance of Bridge Maintenance
• Bridge Maintenance Planning and Scheduling

Who Should Take This Course

This course is intended for a variety of positions within local agencies and tribal governments, focused on those who are responsible for inspecting and maintaining bridges as well as those who plan and schedule those inspections and maintenance activities.

Accessing the Course

This training is offered via the course management system Canvas. Upon completing your online registration, you will receive an email confirmation. To access the course, please visit Canvas and login with your University of Minnesota internet ID and password. Once you have been enrolled, your course will appear on your Canvas dashboard.

If for any reason you do not have access to the course after enrolling, please contact Katherine Stanley at sell0146@umn.edu for assistance.

Technical Requirements

Because it's built using web standards, Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer work best for this course.

Credit

• To the best of our knowledge, this course meets the continuing education requirements for 3.0 PDHs as outlined in Minnesota Statute 326.107. More information concerning continuing education for professionals is available on the Minnesota Board of AELSLAGID website.

Sponsors

This course is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota LTAP is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Course curriculum was developed and compiled by FHWA Center for Local Aid Support in conjunction with a technical advisory panel of experts including local agencies and state DOTs.