U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000

Skip to content
Facebook iconYouTube iconTwitter iconFlickr iconLinkedInInstagram

Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

 
REPORT
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Back to Publication List        
Publication Number:  FHWA-HRT-16-007    Date:  January 2016
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-16-007
Date: January 2016

 

Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program Protocols, Version 1

Long-Term Bridge Performance Program Logo

Bridge Site Conditions
LTBP Protocol #: PRE-ED-BD-004

1.

Data Collected

  
1.1 Data related to the typical environmental, anti-icing, and traffic conditions at the bridge site.  

2.

Onsite Equipment and Personnel Requirements

  
2.1 Equipment:  
2.1.1 Computer.  
2.1.2 Scanner.  
2.2 Personnel: PRE-PL-LO-005, Personnel Qualifications.  

3.

Methodology

  
3.1 Work with the bridge owner to obtain values for average daily traffic (ADT), average daily truck traffic (ADTT), and amount and type of anti-icing agent, (data collection table items 8–15), beginning with the year construction of the bridge was completed and for each subsequent year that data are available.  
3.2 Obtain marine environment, weather, and water flow data, beginning with the year construction of the bridge was completed and for each subsequent year that data are available:  
3.2.1 Calculate the straight line distance from the centerline of the bridge to the nearest body of saltwater (miles) (data collection table item 16).  
3.2.2 Obtain water flow data using publicly available Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) historic flood data (data collection table items 18–26).  
3.3 If the bridge information exists only in paper form, scan that information into an electronic format so it can be stored in the LTBP Bridge Portal.  
3.4 Storing data, documents, and images:  
3.4.1 FLD-DS-LS-001, Data, Document, and Image Storage—Local, for local storage.  
3.4.2 FLD-DS-RS-001, Data, Document, and Image Storage—Remote, for remote storage.  
3.5 Reporting: Transfer all metadata, data, documents, and images to FHWA, and/or upload all metadata, data, documents, and images into the LTBP Bridge Portal.  

4.

Data Collection Table

  
4.1 Table:  
# Field Name Data Type Accuracy Unit Field Description Row Color
1 State Text     State Code; e.g., Virginia = VA Green
2 NBI structure number Text     Item 8, structure number; from NBI Coding Guide Green
3 Structure name Text     Descriptive name for the bridge; e.g., Route 15 SB over I–66 Green
4 Protocol name Text     Title of the protocol Green
5 Protocol version Text Month and year   Month and year the protocol version was published; e.g., May 2015 Green
6 Personnel performing data collection activities Text     First name(s) Last name(s) Green
7 Date data were collected Text Exact date   mm/dd/yyyy Green
Traffic Data Pink
8 Year ADT, ADTT, and WIM data were recorded Text     yyyy Blue
9 ADT Number 100 Vehicles/day   Yellow
10 ADTT Number 100 Vehicles/day   Yellow
11 Comments Text     If WIM data is provided, provide the source of the WIM data Orange
Anti-icing Practices and Marine Environment Pink
12 Automated anti-icing system in use at bridge site Predefined list     Yes or No Yellow
13 Description of anti-icing system Text     Manufacturer, model name and number Yellow
14 Type of anti-icing agent Text     Indicate “None” or specify name of the anti-icing agent Yellow
15 Quantity of anti-icing agent per year applied to the bridge Number 1 lbs See section 6.2. Yellow
16 Distance from bridge centerline to saltwater Number 1 mi Straight line distance to the nearest body of saltwater Yellow
17 Comments Text       Orange
Waterway Flow Data (For Bridges Crossing Waterways) Pink
18 FEMA flood plain designation Text       Yellow
19 FEMA base flood elevation at the location of the bridge site Number 1 ft   Yellow
20 100-year design flood velocity Number 1 ft3/sec   Yellow
21 Maximum known flow velocity Number 1 ft3/sec   Yellow
22 Historical flood events at the structure location Text     Record how many 100-year-or-greater flood events have occurred at the bridge site and the years those events occurred. Also, record the crest height if known. Yellow
23 Year recorded Text Year   yyyy Blue
24 Average flow velocity Number 1 ft3/sec   Yellow
25 Peak flow velocity Number 1 ft3/sec   Yellow
26 Comments Text       Orange
4.2 Table Key:  
Column Descriptions
#
 Sequential number of data item
Field Name
 Data field name
Data Type
 Type of data, such as text, number, predefined list, binary large object (BLOB), or PDF file
Accuracy
 Accuracy to which the data are recorded
Unit
 Unit in which a measurement is taken and recorded
Field Description
 Commentary on the data or list of items in a predefined list
Row Color Key
Green
 Data items only entered once for each protocol for each day the protocol is applied
Pink
 Logical breakdown of data by elements or defect types (not always used)
Blue
 Data identifying the element being evaluated or the type of defect being identified
Yellow
 LTBP data reported individually for each element or defect identified
Orange
 Comments on the data collection or data entered

5.

Criteria for Data Validation

  
5.1 Where feasible, data will be validated using standard error checking within the Bridge Portal.  

6.

Commentary/Background

  
6.1 This protocol provides guidance for collecting data that help characterize the environmental, anti-icing, and traffic conditions at the bridge. This information is used to evaluate the relative impact of these factors on the performance of the bridge and subsequently account for these factors in the development of deterioration models.  
6.2 Historic weather data on temperature, humidity, rainfall, snowfall, solar radiation, and wind speed will be collected under a protocol to be developed at a future date.  
6.3 If the quantity of anti-icing agent per year applied to the bridge (data collection table item 16) is not available, then take the following steps:  
6.3.1 Estimate the amount of anti-icing agent per year used over the route that the bridge carries.  
6.3.2 Use the amount calculated in section 6.3.1, and prorate it for the length of the bridge.  

7.

References

  
7.1 LTBP Protocols:  
7.1.1 PRE-PL-LO-005, Personnel Qualifications.  
7.1.2 FLD-DS-LS-001, Data, Document, and Image Storage—Local.  
7.1.3 FLD-DS-RS-001, Data, Document, and Image Storage—Remote.  
7.2 External:  
7.2.1 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): http://www.noaa.gov/  
7.2.2 Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA): http://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/research/merra/intro.php  
7.2.3 Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA): http://www.fema.gov/  

 

 

 

Return to top

Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) | Accessibility | Web Policies & Notices | No Fear Act | Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse | U.S. DOT Home | USA.gov | WhiteHouse.gov

Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center | 6300 Georgetown Pike | McLean, VA | 22101