State of Florida Department of Transportation

Office of Construction

CRITICAL STRUCTURES CONSTRUCTION ISSUES

SELF STUDY COURSE

January 2012
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 5

I. GUIDELISTS ............................................................................................................... 5

II. CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ADMINISTRATION MANUAL (CPAM) ....................... 6

3.2 Quality Control ................................................................................................................................... 6
10.1 Pile Lengths ..................................................................................................................................... 6
10.2 Prestressed/Precast Concrete Components10.3 Concrete Construction ....................................... 6
10.3 Concrete Construction ..................................................................................................................... 6
10.4 Paint and Asbestos Removal, Handling and Disposal ..................................................................... 11
10.5 Drilled Shafts .................................................................................................................................... 11
10.6 Underwater Bridge Construction Inspection .................................................................................... 11
10.7 Post-tensioned Bridges .................................................................................................................... 11
10.8 Auger Cast Piles .............................................................................................................................. 11
10.9 Structural Steel and Miscellaneous Metal Components .................................................................. 11
10.10 Bridge Construction Issues That Must Involve Office of Construction Staff .................................. 11
10.11 General Structures Construction Issues ......................................................................................... 11

III. CONSTRUCTION TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION MANUAL (CTQM), OTHER

BRIDGE TRAINING COURSES AND MANUALS, AND EXPERIENCE
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLEX BRIDGE PROJECTS ......................................... 12

4.5 Qualifications and Training Courses - Concrete Field Technicians ................................................... 12

8.4 Grouting Technician Training and Qualification Program .................................................................. 12
8.5 Post-Tensioning Technician Training and Qualification Program ...................................................... 12
8.8 Bridge Coating Inspector Training ..................................................................................................... 12
8.9 Lead Paint Removal ........................................................................................................................... 13
8.10 Critical Structures Construction Issues – Self Study Course ........................................................... 13
► Other Bridge Training Courses and Manuals ...................................................................................... 13
► Experience requirements for CEI staff that are responsible for complex bridge projects ................... 13

IV. SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................................................... 14

1 Definitions and Terms ...................................................................................................... 14

1-3 Definitions - Contractor’s Engineer of Record ............................................................................. 14

5 Control of the Work ........................................................................................................................ 15

5-1.4.5.4 Temporary Works ............................................................................................................... 15

5-1.4.5.6 Beam and Girder Temporary Bracing .............................................................................. 16
5-1.4.5.7 Erection Plan ..................................................................................................................... 16
5-1.5.4 Erection .................................................................................................................................. 16

105 Contractor Quality Control General Requirements ........................................................... 17

105-8.7.1 Concrete Field Technician – Level I .................................................................................. 17

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 105-8.7.2 Concrete Field Technician – Level II ................................................................................. 17
105-8.8 Supervisory Personnel – Bridge Structures ......................................................................... 17
105-8.8.7 Post-Tensioning ................................................................................................................ 17

346 Portland Cement Concrete ...................................................................................................... 18

346-3.3 Mass Concrete ..................................................................................................................... 18

346-6.4 & 12 Plastic Property Tolerances & Pay Reduction for Plastic Properties ........................... 19
346-7.2 Transit Mixing ....................................................................................................................... 19
346-7.7 Adding Water to Concrete at the Placement Site ................................................................ 19
346-7.8 Sample Location ................................................................................................................... 20
346-9.1 General – Curing Facilities (Curing Box) .............................................................................. 21

400 Concrete Structures .................................................................................................................. 21

400-5.7 Stay-In-Place Metal Forms - Welding Restrictions, Polymer Coating .................................. 21

400-7.1.3 Wind Velocity Restrictions ................................................................................................. 23
400-7.10 Requirements for Successive Layers ................................................................................. 24
400-7.13.3 Screeding Operations - Application of water ................................................................... 24
400-15.2. 6.4 Application of Class 5 Applied Finish Coating ............................................................. 24
400-16.1 General – Moisture Evaporation Monitoring and Control ................................................... 24
400-16.2 and 16.4 Methods – Curing Bridge Decks with Membrane Curing Compound .................. 25
400-16.6 Traffic Barriers, Railings, Parapets and End Post – Curing Compound Application .......... 26
400-21 Disposition of Cracked Concrete ........................................................................................... 26

416 Installing Adhesive-Bonded Anchors and Dowels for Structural Applications ....... 27

416-6.1 Field Testing ......................................................................................................................... 27

450 Precast Prestressed Concrete Construction ...................................................................... 27

450-16.2 Storage - Measuring Camber and Sweep .......................................................................... 27

460 Structural Steel and Miscellaneous Metals ......................................................................... 27

460-5.2.1 Rotational Capacity (RC) Test – Bolts .............................................................................. 27

460-5.4.8 Turn-of-Nut Tightening – Daily Snug Tight Torque Test for Bolts ..................................... 28
460-5.4.9 Direct-Tension-Indicator (DTI) Tightening – Bolts ............................................................. 29
460-7.1.3 Erection Plan ..................................................................................................................... 30
460-7.5 Preparation of Bearing Areas and Setting of Bearings ........................................................ 30

502 Shear Connectors ....................................................................................................................... 32

502-1 Description ............................................................................................................................... 32

649 Steel Strain Poles, Steel Mast Arms and Monotube Assemblies .................................. 32

649-5 Installation – Bolting ................................................................................................................ 32

649-6 Screen Installation ................................................................................................................... 33

700 Highway Signing ........................................................................................................................ 33

700-2.5.3 Installation ......................................................................................................................... 33

715 Highway Lighting System ........................................................................................................ 33

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 715-10 Erecting Light Poles .............................................................................................................. 33

932 Nonmetallic Accessory Materials .............................................................................. 33

932-2.2 Bridge Structures – Elastomeric Bearing Pads .................................................................... 33

Miscellaneous Specification Related Issues ............................................................................... 34

A. Preventing Excessively Thick Beam Buildups .............................................................................. 34

B. Excessive Camber ........................................................................................................................ 35
C. Inspection of Prefabricated Products ............................................................................................ 36
D. Deck Concrete Placement Direction ............................................................................................. 36
E. Fascia Beam Rotation Issues ....................................................................................................... 36
F. Required Contractor Submittals or Actions Required for Bridge Temporary Works ..................... 37

V. DESIGN STANDARDS ................................................................................................ 39

Index Number: 20005, Prestressed Beam Temporary Bracing ............................................................ 39

Index Numbers: 20010 – 20078, Florida I Beam .................................................................................. 42

► Certification of Course Completion Form – A copy of this form is the last page of this document

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INTRODUCTION

Personnel that are Required to Complete this Course and the Deadlines for Completion

Completion of this course is mandatory for the following Department and Consultant Construction Engineering
and Inspection (CEI) personnel involved in structures related construction: Resident Engineers, Construction
Project Managers, Senior Project Engineers (SPE), Project Administrators (PA), Senior or Lead Inspectors and
Inspectors. Contractor employees involved with construction of structures should be encouraged by CEI staff to
take this course. After the complete course is taken the first time, it shall be retaken every three years thereafter.
Those that are required to take this course will be notified by e-mail when there is a Supplement to the course
which is expected to take place once per year in January. Review of the Supplement is required and its review
shall be completed prior to signing the Certification of Course Completion form for those taking the complete
course for the first time. A certification form is not required for those that have already taken the complete course
and are only reviewing the annual Supplement. Personnel that are newly employed must complete the course
not later than 6 months after the start of employment.

Certification of Course Completion Form

After fully completing the entire course, each student must fill out a Certification of Course Completion Form (see
the last page of this document for a copy of the form) which must be signed by the student. The executed
certification form shall be sent to the District Construction Training Administrator for permanent filing and a copy
shall be retained by the student. Certification forms are only required once every three years when retaking of the
complete course is required.

Individuals to Contact for further Information

For questions about taking this course, contact your District Construction Training Administrator. For technical
questions about the course content, contact the following Office of Construction Engineers: State Construction
Structures Engineer or Construction Structures Engineer.

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of this critical issues course is to:  heighten awareness of widely misunderstood or overlooked
specifications, procedures and other issues;  to present specifications and procedures that were implemented
for the first time in recent years; and  to introduce new or upcoming specification and procedure changes that
will significantly impact Contractor and CEI efforts in the future. The topics covered in this course will be flagged
throughout this document with the colored squares above that correspond with their purpose. Course topics were
selected by Office of Construction Engineers based on information gathered during annual field reviews of active
projects in addition to feedback from Resident Engineer, Senior Project Engineers, Project Administrators and
other field personnel related to: changes to contract documents, noncompliance with contact documents, and
damaged or defective structural elements. The structures issues presented in this course are arranged by which
of five topics they relate to as follows: I. Guidelists; II. Construction Project Administration Manual (CPAM); III.
Construction Training and Qualification Manual (CTQM), Other Bridge Training Courses and Manuals, and
Experience Requirements for Complex Bridge Projects; IV. Specifications; and V. Design Standard. Blue colored
text underlined in blue that appears anywhere in this document is an internet hyperlink. Clicking on the blue text
with the cursor will automatically open the internet page containing the information related to the blue text.

I.  GUIDELISTS

There are seven structures related guidelists as listed below. Review of guidelists, which are lists of the most
important contract document requirements that inspectors must verify without fail, is particularly important since
they increase the inspector’s awareness of what contract document sections apply to the construction operation
being inspected. At the end of each guidelist requirement a notation indicates in what section of a publication,
such as the construction specification, the user can find detailed information about the guidelist item when more

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information is desired. Guidelists shall be passed out to Contractor personnel at pre-work/pre-operations
meetings and at any other time deemed appropriate by CEI staff in order to help the Contractor to be more aware
of contract document requirements. The Guidelists identify only the most important contact document
requirements to ensure that they are not overlooked during construction by providing a concise tool for doing so;
however, they must not be relied upon exclusively during inspections since familiarity with all contract documents
is a prime responsibility of the CEI staff and vitally important. View the Latest Guidelists.

8B …… Concrete Materials
9 …….. Structure Foundations
10A..... Bridge Structures - General Concrete
10B …. Bridge Structures - Bearings/Beams/Bolts
10C …. Bridge Structures - Concrete Decks
10D …. Bridge Structures - Post-tensioning
11 …… Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Walls

II. CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ADMINISTRATION MANUAL (CPAM)

The following CPAM sections contain requirements for CEI personnel covering a wide range of critical
construction management responsibilities related to structures. It is very important that CEI personnel assigned
to structures related construction be thoroughly familiar with these requirements.

3.2  Quality Control: Very important Pre-work/Pre-operations meetings are required by this CPAM section
prior to a first time construction operation of any structural component. Section 3.2.7.3 provides instructions for
how and when these meetings should be conducted. Relevant guidelists must be passed out to the Contractor at
these meetings.

10.1  Pile Lengths: This section provides guidance related to setting production pile lengths and pile driving
criteria to be used during pile driving operations and includes a Flow Chart of the process.

10.2  Prestressed/Precast Concrete Components: When prestressed/precast concrete components are

defective or are damaged while in the plant where they are produced, this section provides detailed instructions to
CEI personnel about how to proceed with resolution of these defects or damage and includes a Flow Chart of the
process.

10.3 Concrete Construction: This Section has four major parts that deal with the following topics: 10.3.3 
concrete deck thickness and cover checks required of inspectors; 10.3.4  mass concrete monitoring which
includes supplemental flow charts; 10.3.5  mandatory crack inspection procedures which includes a flow chart
and attachment; and 10.3.6  required notification of District Materials Office for pre-work meetings and concrete
placements.

10.3.5  Crack Inspection: This subsection has recently been revised to

include detailed instructions regarding the disposition of concrete cracks.
CEI inspectors are required to map cracks to scale, either on a hand drawn
diagram or with CAD, and the map must contain the following information
for each crack: width, length, reference points to a fixed object, and depth.
Crack widths of 25 mils (1 mil = 0.001 inch) or less are required to be
measured with a pocket microscope containing a ridicule which is a built in
scale that has 1 mil increments. The accompanying photos are of sample
pocket microscopes. Pocket Microscopes
4” to 8” high
Once a crack map is completed then Table 1 or 2 in specification 400-21,
must be used to determine what action (repair, replacement or no action)
will be required to resolve the crack issue for nonstructural cracks. The tables allow the appropriate repair to
be determined by selecting four input parameters and these are as follows: Elevation Range which can be
determined from the plans; Environment Category also from the plans; Crack Width Range from the crack

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 map; and Cracking Significance Range which must be computed as explained in CPAM Section 10.3.5 with its
Attachment 10.3.5-1.

In the accompanying Table 1, from Specification 400-21, the elevation range column is highlighted in green
and has three ranges. The Crack Width column in blue has 8 ranges within each elevation range. The red
row is Cracking Significance and has 4 levels of cracking severity. Environment Category is the purple row
and has 3 environments (SA-slightly aggressive, MA-moderately aggressive and EA-extremely aggressive) for
each significance range. By choosing the applicable columns and rows, the appropriate corrective action cell
can be determined.

The Cracking Significance range requires a calculation that is explained in footnote (1) of the accompanying
Specification 400-21 table entitled, Key of Abbreviations and Footnotes Table. The calculation requires the
determination of the LOT size which is the area of a rectangle that encompasses a group of cracks as seen in
the accompanying drawing from CPAM Attachment 10.3.5-1. For example: in the accompanying drawing,
the blue rectangles represent the limits of a LOT and encompass groups of red colored cracks. The text of
CPAM Section 10.3.5 provides a detailed explanation of how LOT sizes are calculated. LOT areas must be
2 2 2 2
between 25 ft and 100 ft for footings, columns, caps, etc. and between 100 ft and 400 ft for decks. The
Engineer determines the dimensions and sizes of LOTs and if a LOT exceeds the maximum area limit, an
additional LOT must be used. Within a LOT, the greater the surface area is of all the cracks added together,
the greater is the severity or significance of the cracking. The higher the severity of cracking, the greater is the
repair effort and expense required to counteract the cracks. Repair may not be possible if cracking severity is
unacceptably high, in which case, the component will have to be removed and replaced.

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 SPECIFICATION 400-21
(Note: See Key of Abbreviations and Footnotes on next page)

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 SPECIFICATION 400-21

Key of Abbreviations and Footnotes for Tables 1 and 2

Type Abbreviation Abbreviation Definition
EI Epoxy Injection (4a)
M Methacrylate (4b)
Repair Method
NT No Treatment Required
PS Penetrant Sealer (4b)
EA Extremely Aggressive
Environment Category MA Moderately Aggressive
SA Slightly Aggressive
Reference Elevation AMHW Above Mean High Water
Footnotes
(1) Cracking Significance Range is determined by computing the ratio of Total Cracked Surface Area (TCSA) to
Total Surface Area (TSA) per LOT in percent [(TCSA/TSA) x 100] then by identifying the Cracking Significance
Range in which that value falls. TCSA is the sum of the surface areas of the individual cracks in the LOT. The
surface area of an individual crack is determined by taking width measurements of the crack at 3 representative
locations and then computing their average which is then multiplied by the crack length.
(2) Crack Width Range is determined by computing the width of an individual crack as computed in (1) above and
then identifying the range in which that individual crack width falls.
(3) When the Engineer determines that a crack in the 0.004 inch to 0.008 inch width range is not injectable then for
Table 1 use penetrant sealer unless the surface is horizontal, in which case, use methacrylate if the manufacturer's
recommendations allow it to be used and if it can be applied effectively as determined by the Engineer.
(4) (a) Perform epoxy injection of cracks in accordance with Section 411. (b) Seal cracks with penetrant sealer or
methacrylate as per Section 413. Use only methacrylate or penetrant sealer that is compatible, according to
manufacturer’s recommendations, with previously applied materials such as curing compound or paint or remove
such materials prior to application.
(5) Methacrylate shall be used on horizontal surfaces in lieu of penetrant sealer if the manufacturer's
recommendations allow it to be used and if it can be applied effectively as determined by the Engineer.

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 CPAM ATTACHMENT 10.3.5-1

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10.4  Paint and Asbestos Removal, Handling and Disposal: For projects that have paint or asbestos
removal this Section covers mandatory Contractor requirements along with mandatory CEI monitoring
responsibilities.  This Section was recently updated and now includes a new topic, 10.4.5.3 Critical Coating
Inspection Issues, that makes inspectors aware of coating concerns that are often overlooked, misunderstood or
ignored by Contractors during coating operations and are as follows: coating of bolts; surfaces that are visually
difficult to inspect and access; caulking gaps and seams; testing for chloride, sulfate and nitrate concentrations;
rigging materials quality and Stripe Coating. Inspectors must pay particular attention to these concerns during
coating operations and they should be discussed in detail with the Contractor at pre-operations meetings prior to
the start of any work.

10.5  Drilled Shafts: This section provides guidance related to approval of drilled shaft installation plans and
other drilled shaft construction issues and includes a Flow Chart of the process.

10.6  Underwater Bridge Construction Inspection: This new Section addresses how, when, where and who
will perform underwater inspections while a construction project is underway and prior to final acceptance. These
inspections have not been required routinely in the past but; henceforth, will be required. Consultant CEI scopes
of services will require this work and budget will be allocated for it. This section was developed in response to the
discovery, by FDOT Bridge Maintenance Inspectors on a number of occasions, of significant underwater defects
either during final acceptance inspections or during routine maintenance inspections a year or two after project
completion. These types of defects can be addressed much more effectively and economically during
construction then they can at the end of, or after, construction thus the need for this new CPAM section. For
bridge projects with underwater bridge components, if the CEI Scope of Services does not include a requirement
for underwater bridge construction services then the CEI consultant should request that the Department consider
adding this service to the contract.

10.7  Post-tensioned Bridges: The inspection of post-tensioned bridges is discussed in detail in this section
and includes a comprehensive Guidance Document 10-7-A at the end of the section that indentifies specific
inspection responsibilities and five supplemental flow charts that also cover various inspection responsibilities.

10.8  Auger Cast Piles: This Section provides guidance related to the approval of the installation plan for
auger cast piles.

10.9  Structural Steel and Miscellaneous Metal Components: When steel or metal components are
defective or are damaged while in the fabrication plant where they are produced, this section provides detailed
instructions to CEI personnel about how to proceed with resolution of these defects or damage and includes a
Flow Chart of the process.

10.10  Bridge Construction Issues That Must Involve Office of Construction Staff: Office of Construction,
Bridge Construction Engineers must be involved in decision making related to complex bridge types as covered in
this new Section.

10.11  General Structures Construction Issues: This new CPAM Section was developed to address
structures construction issues that are not covered in other CPAM Chapter 10 sections. The topics covered in
this new section relate to structures maintenance issues including: 10.11.3 - Notifying the District Structures
Maintenance Engineer of In-Service Dates and Acceptance Inspections; 10.11.4 - Notification and Monitoring of
Load Rating Requirements; and 10.11.5 - Electronic Management of Construction Documents Required by the
District Structures Maintenance Office (DSMO). In the future, topics other than maintenance related, will be
added.

In section 10.11.3, CEI staff is given direction on how and when to contact the DSMO to arrange for Structures
Maintenance inspectors to inspect structures prior to their being put into service and prior to final acceptance.
Also, this section covers the process of addressing punch list items and the collection of data required by the
DSMO that CEI staff must collect during construction of the project.

Section 10.11.4, provides detailed procedures regarding the CEI staff’s responsibilities concerning load ratings.
The circumstances that govern whether or not the load rating will remain As-Bid or if it will have to become an As-

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Built load rating at the end of the project, are covered in detail along with the corresponding signed and sealed
documents that are required

Construction documents that are electronically managed and that the DSMO must be able to easily access during
the life of the structure are covered in 10.11.5. A table is provided entitled “CDMS DOCUMENT PROFILE
FIELDS FOR CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY THE DSMO” that shows CEI staff where to
electronically file construction documents (Construction Document Type, CDMS Group/ Type No., and Mandatory
CDMS Document Subject/Description) so that in the future, DSMO staff will be able to find the records they need
with minimal effort which has not been the case in the past. Although the “Subject/Description” field of a CDMS
document allows any alpha numeric character to be entered, the only characters that are to be entered as the first
characters in the field are those that are required in the table entitled DOCUMENT PROFILE FIELDS FOR
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY THE DSMO. Once the Subject/Description that is required by
the Table is entered in the first positions of the field, then any other characters may follow at the discretion of the
coder. By using the exact characters of the Table, Maintenance personnel can easily search a
Subject/Description for a list of documents that have the precise information for which they are looking.

III. CONSTRUCTION TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION MANUAL (CTQM), OTHER

BRIDGE TRAINING COURSES AND MANUALS, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
FOR COMPLEX BRIDGE PROJECTS

The following CTQM sections contain training and qualification requirements for CEI personnel involved with
structures projects.

4.5  Qualifications and Training Courses – Concrete Field Technicians and Inspectors: This Section
specifies the training courses and experience required to become a Construction Training and Qualification
Program (CTQP) Qualified Level I or II Concrete Field Technician or Inspector. A Level I qualification is required
for CEI personnel that sample and test concrete and Level II is required for the CEI lead inspector on all
structures projects.

8.4  Grouting Technician Training and Qualification Program: Grouting technicians must have the training
and qualifications specified in this Section in order to inspect bridge projects that require the grouting of post-
tensioning steel. By meeting the training and qualification requirements, a technician is eligible to become a
CTQP qualified grouting technician Level I or II. In order to be eligible for qualification, technicians must submit
proof of successful completion of a Department accredited grouting training course to the CTQP Administrator for
consideration. The CEI inspector in charge of inspection (lead or senior inspector) of grouting work must be at
least a Level I technician.

 This Section was recently updated and expanded as follows: The previous 8.4 requirement for viewing of the
Grouting Video Tutorial, an informal introductory course, has been deleted since formal comprehensive grouting
technician training has been in effect for many years and has resulted in the training and certification of hundreds
of technicians and engineers.

8.5  Post-Tensioning Technician Training and Qualification Program: Post-tensioning technicians must
have the training and qualifications specified in this Section in order to inspect bridge projects that require the
post-tensioning of steel tendons and strands. By meeting the training and qualification requirements, a technician
is eligible to become a CTQP qualified post-tensioning technician Level I or II. In order to be eligible for
qualification, technicians must submit proof of successful completion of a Department accredited post-tensioning
training course to the CTQP Administrator for consideration. The CEI inspector in charge of inspection (lead or
senior inspector) of post-tensioning work must be at least a Level I technician.

8.8  Bridge Coating Inspector Training: The lead inspector on a bridge coating project must successfully
complete a Bridge Coating Training Course accredited by the Department. Proof of successful completion must
be presented to the appropriate Department Official prior to the start of coating inspection. This requirement does
not require a CTQP qualification.

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8.9  Lead Paint Removal: Senior Project Engineers and Project Administrators on projects requiring the
disposal of hazardous waste associated with coatings removal must successfully complete the Society of
Protective Coatings (SSPC) Course entitled, C-3 Lead Paint Removal, prior to the start of removal work. This
training is also strongly recommended for Construction Project Managers of projects requiring hazardous coatings
removal. This requirement does not require a CTQP qualification.

8.10  Critical Structures Construction Issues – Self Study Course: This new section makes the Critical
Structures Construction Issues – Self Study Course a formal requirement for all CEI personnel involved in
structures construction and sets forth the requirements of the course and the individuals responsible for course
supplements and student tracking.

► Other Bridge Training Courses and Manuals: The following is a listing of structures self study courses,
tutorials and CTQP technical training manuals.

Self Study Courses: Structures Inspection Part One and Part Two
Tutorials: Driven Pile, Laptop Pile Driving, and Drilled Shaft
CTQP Technical Training Manuals: Concrete Field Inspector Specification, Pile Driving Inspector and
Drilled Shaft Inspector

► Experience requirements for CEI staff that are responsible for complex bridge projects : CEI
personnel working on projects with the following structure types must have the experience and qualifications
listed below and that are covered in detail in the Department’s Standard Scope of Services, Part 10.2 -
Personnel Qualifications: Concrete Post-Tensioned Segmental Box Girder [CPTS], Concrete Post-Tensioned
Continuous Beam [CPTCB], Movable Bridges [MB]):

Senior Project Engineer - Registered engineer with 5 years general bridge construction experience.

Project Administrator - Registered engineer with 5 years of general bridge construction experience, 3 years
of which, must be in complex bridge projects or non-registered with 8 years of general bridge construction
experience, 3 years of which, must be in complex bridge projects.

Senior Inspector - 5 years of general bridge construction experience, 2 years of which, must be in complex
bridge projects, plus for CPTS bridges, 2 years of geometry control survey experience if performing casting
yard inspection.

Casting Yard Engineer/Manager, CPTS Bridges only - Registered engineer with 1 year of casting yard
experience or non-registered with 3 years of casting yard experience.

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IV. SPECIFICATIONS [Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction 2010]

1 Definitions and Terms

1-3  Definitions - Contractor’s Engineer of Record: In the past, Contractor’s have occasionally used the
services of under qualified Engineers to perform design or analysis of permanent elements of structures for the
purpose of proposing a corrective action for damaged or defective components or for a redesign that benefitted
the Contractor. As a result, the Department had to expend a great deal of effort on behalf of under qualified
engineers by correcting their work or by instructing them about how to properly perform their work. In order to
avoid such expenditures of effort in the future and to make certain that only legitimately qualified engineers are
permitted to design or analyze permanent structures that are expected to be used by the public for at least 75
years, the Department strengthened the qualification requirements of engineers that work for Contractors and this
went into effect in 2007. A fully qualified Contractor’s engineer is now referred to as the “Contractor’s Engineer of
Record” or “Pre-qualified Specialty Engineer” as defined in Specification 1-3. This means that the Contractor’s
Engineer, whether the employee of an engineering consulting firm or a self employed engineer, must be pre-
qualified with the Department in accordance with the Rules of the Department, Chapter 14-75, or in other words,
must meet the same qualifications as do engineers of record that are employed by the Department to perform
original designs of permanent structures. If the Contractor elects to use a Pre-qualified Specialty Engineer
instead of a Contractor’s Engineer of Record then the Pre-qualified Specialty Engineer’s work must be checked
by another Pre-Qualified Specialty Engineer prior to submittal to the Department. See the list of Pre-Qualified
Specialty Engineers.

For design/analysis work that involves a permanent component of a structure, the SPE/PA must make certain that
any engineer performing work for the Contractor is pre-qualified by the Department in the appropriate type of work
category for bridge design, as follows: 4.1.1: Miscellaneous Structures; 4.1.2: Minor Bridge Design; 4.2.1: Major
Bridge Design-Concrete; 4.2.2: Major Bridge Design – Steel; 4.2.3: Major Bridge Design – Segmental; 4.3.1:
Complex Bridge Design – Concrete; 4.3.2: Complex Bridge Design – Steel; 4.4: Movable Span Bridge Design.
The SPE/PA shall not accept, for review by the Department, submittals from a Contractor’s engineer who does
not meet the pre-qualification requirements of Chapter 14-75 and the conditions of Specification 1-3.

Design/analysis engineering services may also be performed by a Specialty Engineer (see specification 1-3 for a
definition) who is not required to be prequalified by the Department but who must be a registered engineer in
Florida and who must have the education and experience to competently perform the work. In general, Specialty
Engineers are permitted to work on temporary structures or systems that are used by the Contractor to build the
permanent structure such as falsework, forms, scaffolding, etc. They may also be permitted to work on
permanent structural elements that are minor or nonstructural or for special items of the permanent works not fully
detailed in the plans. The accompanying matrix shows what work type each class of engineer - Contractor’s
Engineer of Record, Pre-qualified Specialty Engineer or Specialty Engineer – is permitted to perform.

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 CLASS OF CONTRACTOR’S ENGINEER VERSUS WORK TYPE

Pre-
Contractor’s
Qualified Specialty
Work Type Engineer of
Specialty Engineer
Record
Engineer

Re-design Yes No No

VECP Yes No No

Details of the permanent work not fully detailed

in the plans (Example: Pot Bearing Design, non-
Yes Yes Yes
standard expansion joints, MSE walls, other
specialty items)

Design and details of the permanent work

declared to be minor or non-structural including Yes Yes Yes
minor repairs

Design and details of the permanent work

declared to be major or structural including Yes Yes * No
major repairs

Design and drawings of temporary works such

Yes Yes Yes
as falsework, formwork, etc.

* The work must also be checked by another pre-qualified Specialty Engineer

5 Control of Work
5-1.4.5.4  Temporary Works: This article requires the Contractor to submit shop drawings for temporary works
that affect public safety. Construction affecting public safety pertains to construction operations conducted over
or adjacent to active roadways, pedestrian ways, railroads, navigable waterways, etc., which might cause injury or
death if a construction related mishap were to take place: see Specification 5-1.4.1 for a detailed definition. This
section was recently revised to require bracing system shop drawings to be submitted for EOR approval. Bracing
systems were added because of problems with beam stability during erection operations. By requiring the
Contractor to submit drawings and calculations related to the stabilization of beams by bracing during erection,
the Department can reduce the possibility that beams or their components will fall onto vehicles, pedestrians,
trains, boats, etc. At the preconstruction conference, the SPE/PA must remind the Contractor that these drawings
are required and during construction the CEI staff must verify that the Contractor complies with the approved shop
drawings.

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5-1.4.5.6  Beam and Girder Temporary Bracing: The text of this new specification article is as follows - The
Contractor is solely responsible for ensuring stability of beams and girders during all handling, storage, shipping
and erection. Adequately brace beams and girders to resist wind, weight of forms and other temporary loads,
especially those eccentric to the vertical axis of the products, considering actual beam geometry and support
conditions during all stages of erection and deck construction. Develop the required designs following the
AASHTO Guide Design Specifications for Bridge Temporary Works and Construction Handbook for Bridge
Temporary Works and the Contract Documents. For Construction Affecting Public Safety, submit signed and
sealed calculations for stability for all beams and girders.

The purpose of this new article is to make the Contractor aware that stabilizing beams is a critical issue that
requires serious attention and which is solely the Contractor’s to address. In recent years there have been
instances of beam stability problems as follows: improperly braced beams have collapsed onto the roadway
beneath them prior to deck form placement; fascia beams have rotated during placement of deck concrete due to
inadequate overhang brackets and/or bracing between the fascia beam and the adjacent beam as well as
inadequate blocking at bearings; undersized bracing elements between beams have failed during a high wind
event; etc. At the preconstruction conference, the SPE/PA must remind the Contractor that these drawings are
required and should emphasize the importance of properly designed bracing systems. Also, the Contractor must
be reminded that the bracing systems must be designed following the AASHTO Guide Design Specifications for
Bridge Temporary Works and the Construction Handbook for Bridge Temporary Works. Finally, the SPE/PA
should review the contract documents for any references to beam and girder temporary bracing, such as notes in
the plans provided by the EOR, and bring these to the attention of the Contractor and during construction the CEI
staff must verify that the Contractor complies with the approved bracing shop drawings.

5-1.4.5.7  Erection Plan: The text of this specification new article is as follows - Submit, for the Engineer’s
review, an Erection Plan that meets the specific requirements of Sections 450, 452 and 460 and this section.
Refer to Index 600 for construction activities not permitted over traffic.

The purpose of this new article is to make the Contractor aware that an erection plan may be part of the shop
drawing process, and as such, must comply with all the shop drawing requirements of Specification Section 5.
The SPE/PA should review the contract documents for any references to erection procedures or requirements,
such as notes in the plans provided by the EOR, and bring these to the attention of the Contractor.

5-1.5.4  Erection: The text of this new specification article is as follows - For Construction Affecting Public
Safety, submit an erection plan signed and sealed by the Specialty Engineer to the Engineer at least four (4)
weeks prior to erection commencing. Include as part of this submittal signed and sealed calculations and details
for any falsework, bracing or other connection(s) supporting the structural elements shown in the erection plan. At
least two (2) weeks prior to beginning erection, conduct a Pre-erection meeting with the Specialty Engineer and
Engineer to review details of the plan. After erection of the elements but prior to opening of the roadway below
the structure, ensure that a Specialty Engineer has personally inspected the erected member(s) and certified to
the Engineer that the structure has been erected in accordance with the signed and sealed erection plan. Perform
daily inspections of the erected structural systems. For structures without temporary supports but with temporary
girder bracing systems, perform inspections until all the diaphragms and cross frames are in place. For structures
with temporary supports, perform inspections until the temporary supports are no longer needed as indicated in
the erection plans. Provide written documentation of the inspections to the Engineer within 24 hours of the
inspection.

The purpose of this new article is to make sure that the Contractor is in full compliance with the approved erection
plan once it is implemented in the field. An erection plan is required for all material types (concrete, steel, timber,
etc.) if public safety is affected; however, Specification 460-7 requires an erection plan for all steel components
regardless of whether or not public safety is affected. The SPE/PA should review the contract documents for any
references to erection procedures or requirements called for by the EOR in the plans and bring these to the
attention of the Contractor prior to his/her submittal of the erection plan. The SPE/PA must verify that the
Specialty Engineer has personally inspected the erected members for compliance to the erection plan prior to
opening the public travel way below the erected members. In addition, the SPE/PA must confirm that the required
daily inspections are taking place and that the required written documentation is being submitted. Finally, the CEI
staff should verify that the Contractor complies with the approved erection plan during construction.

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105 Contractor Quality Control General Requirements
105-8.7.1  Concrete Field Technician – Level I: To be fully qualified as a Level I Concrete Field Technician
the following prerequisites are required: ACI Concrete Field Testing Tech Grade 1 Certification and a passing
written exam grade for the FDOT Concrete Field Inspector Specification Course. Once these are obtained, the
applicant has to apply to CTQP to be officially qualified. Even if a technician satisfies all the mandatory
prerequisites to become qualified, they will not be considered qualified until they apply to, and are officially issued
a qualification certificate by, the Construction Training and Qualification Program (CTQP) Administrator. The
SPE/PA is responsible for verifying that all CEI and Contractor technicians on their project meet the qualification
requirements.

105-8.7.2  Concrete Field Inspector – Level II: A CTQP Qualified Level II Concrete Field Inspector employed
by the Contractor is responsible for concrete quality of major bridges and must be present at the site of concrete
placement from start to finish and must inspect forms, rebar placement and equipment prior to start of concrete
placement. To be fully qualified as a Level II Concrete Field Inspector, the following prerequisites are required:
ACI Concrete Transportation Construction Inspector (CTCI) Certification or be a Level I technician and have ACI
Associate CTCI Certification and a passing written exam grade for the FDOT Concrete Field Inspector
Specification Course. Once these are obtained, the applicant has to apply to the CTQP Administrator to be
officially qualified. Even if a technician satisfies all the mandatory prerequisites to become qualified, they will not
be considered qualified until they apply to and are officially issued a qualification certificate by the CTQP
Administrator. The SPE/PA is responsible for verifying that all CEI and Contractor technicians on their project
meet the qualification requirements.

105-8.8  Supervisory Personnel – Bridge Structures: Some of the bridges the Department builds have
highly complex design and construction requirements: see specifications 105-8.8.4, 5 and 6 for these types. In
the past, Contractors have occasionally staffed these type projects with under qualified and inexperienced
engineers, superintendents and foremen which resulted in major problems. In order to prevent these problems,
the Department implemented specification 105-8.8 to ensure that only qualified Contractor supervisors are
permitted to work on these complex projects. The SPE/PA is responsible for verifying that Contractor supervisors
fully comply with the requirements of 105-8.8 at all times. Specification 105-8.8.8 sets forth actions that the
SPE/PA must take if the Contractor fails to comply with the qualification requirements at any time while the project
is under way. These actions can have significant negative consequences for the Contractor if not in compliance.

105-8.8.7  Post-Tensioning: Post-tensioning and grouting must be performed and supervised by CTQP
Qualified Contactor personnel. Post-tensioning must be performed under the direct supervision of a Contractor
Level II CTQP Qualified Post-tensioning Technician and the work must be performed by crew members that are
at least Level I CTQP Qualified Post-tensioning Technicians. However, qualified post-tensioning and grouting
technicians are not required for the work crew of simple components such as pier caps or flat slabs. Grouting
must be performed under the direct supervision of a Level II CTQP Qualified Grouting Technician and the work
must be performed by crew members that are at least Level I CTQP Qualified Grouting Technicians. To get
qualified, prerequisites must be met and once they are met (see the Construction Training and Qualification
Manual, Chapter 8.4 and 8.5 for required prerequisites), the applicant has to apply to the CTQP Administrator to
be officially qualified. Even if a technician satisfies all the mandatory prerequisites to become qualified, they will
not be considered qualified until they apply to and are officially issued a qualification certificate by the CTQP
Administrator. The SPE/PA is responsible for verifying that all CEI and Contractor post-tensioning and grouting
technicians on their project meet the PT and grouting qualification requirements.

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346 Portland Cement Concrete
346-3.3  Mass Concrete: This specification was revised so that it would be clear about the involvement of the
Specialty Engineer in charge of developing and overseeing the implementation of the Mass Concrete
Temperature Control Plan. The specification
requires the Specialty Engineer to be directly
involved at the project site in certain phases of the
implementation, and if needed, for adjustment or
revision of the plan. Therefore, the SPE/PA must
confirm that the Specialty Engineer is on site when
required by the specification and is consulted
appropriately by the Contractor when adjustments
or revisions are required. This is important, since
on occasion; Contractors have not implemented
the plan as intended by the Specialty Engineer
because the Specialty Engineer or his employee
never visited the project in person for verification.
The improper implementation of plans has
resulted in the formation of concrete cracks.
Guidance about CEI responsibilities related to
mass concrete approval and monitoring processes
is provided in CPAM Section 10.3.4 and
corresponding Flow Charts 10.3.4-1, Mass Concrete Temperature Control Plan Approval Process, and 10.3.4-2,
CEI Verification Process for Contractor Mass Concrete Monitoring.

Understanding why mass concrete is likely to crack during curing if temperatures are not controlled and
how temperatures can be controlled

When concrete for a mass (short for massive) concrete component is placed and the curing process begins, the
concrete at the core of the component heats up as a result of a chemical reaction of the cement called hydration.
In the accompanying figure, the hotter core is shown as the red cube at the center of a typical footing. The blue
lines represent the cooler exterior surfaces of the footing. When the concrete heats up, it expands and this
process of expansion continues until the core begins cooling. Cooling of the core usually begins two or three
days after concrete placement. As the core heats up, it expands and thus pushes out into the mass of cooler
concrete causing the cooler exterior surfaces to stretch, or to be put into tension. If the core expands beyond a
certain point the tension strength of the concrete will be exceeded and it will crack. These type cracks are
referred to as “Thermal Cracks.”

In order to prevent thermal cracks, the Contractor must hire a Specialty Engineer who is an expert in this field of
technology and who develops a Mass Concrete Temperature Control Plan which must be approved by the
Department. In the Plan, the Specialty Engineer tells the Contractor how to keep the core temperature from
exceeding external surface temperatures by more than 35°F. The temperature difference between the core and
the external temperature is referred to as the differential temperature and if it does not exceed 35°F, cracking is
very unlikely to occur. The Contractor’s measures for controlling the core and surface temperatures may include
all or some of the following as well as others: use of cooled water for mixing the concrete which results in a lower
initial core temperature; use of insulation to cover the exterior surfaces of the component to keep them from
getting colder at night and during cooler weather; use of external heaters to keep external surfaces from rapid
cooling during very cold weather; and use of piping that is installed through the core to allow circulation of cool
water that reduces heat buildup.

The Contractor monitors the temperature differential during the early stages of the curing process by installing
electronic temperature sensors called thermal couples in the core and on the surface of the concrete and that are
attached to the rebar cage prior to concrete placement. The thermal couples are attached to an electronic
reading device that is located outside of the component and which records the differential temperature at least
every 6 hours. Recording can be discontinued after the differential peaks and starts to diminish and when the
maximum core temperature peaks and starts to diminish. Both conditions must be satisfied before monitoring can
be discontinued. The SPE/PA must verify that the monitoring process, with appropriate adjustments as needed,

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is being done properly and that the required monitoring records are accurate, complete, and submitted on time. A
copy of the records must be kept on file in the CEI office.

346-6.4 and 12 : This 346 section underwent a number of important changes that went into effect on July 1,
2010. Articles 6.4 and 12 are particularly important for Contractors and CEI staff to know about. In 6.4, the
Department has removed the target range requirement for concrete slump and now only requires the Contractor
to be within the tolerance range: plus or minus 1.5” from the “Target Value” which is usually 3”. What is also new
and which should improve the Contractor’s ability to provide beneficial concrete fluidity, is that water is permitted
to be added as long as the initial slump is anywhere within the tolerance range and as long as the resultant water
addition does not cause the slump to exceed the upper limit of the tolerance range or exceed the maximum W/C
ratio. In Article12, the Department now requires a pay reduction if the Contractor places concrete that has failed a
plastic properties test. The pay reduction applies to the entire quantity of concrete – usually 10 cubic yards - in
the truck from which the failing concrete was discharged. The pay reduction shall be computed by using twice
the invoice price of the concrete which is the price that the Contractor paid the concrete supplier for the concrete.
The CEI staff shall substantiate the invoice price by obtaining a copy of the Contractor’s invoice which shall be
retained in the project records. The revised articles follow:

346-6.4 Plastic Property Tolerances: Do not place concrete with a slump more than plus or minus 1.5
inches from the target slump value specified in Table 2.
Reject concrete with slump or air content that does not fall within the specified tolerances and
immediately notify the concrete production facility that an adjustment of the concrete mixture is required so that it
will fall within specified tolerances. If a load does not fall within the tolerances, test each subsequent load and the
first adjusted load. If failing concrete is not rejected or adjustments are not implemented, the Engineer may reject
the concrete and terminate further production until the corrections are implemented.
Do not allow concrete to remain in a transporting vehicle to reduce slump. Water may be added only upon
arrival of the concrete to the jobsite and not thereafter.

346-12 Pay Reduction for Plastic Properties: If concrete is placed even when the result of plastic
properties testing requires its rejection, the payment for concrete represented by the plastic property tests will be
reduced by twice the invoice price per cubic yard for all concrete in the load that is placed. If the Engineer
authorizes placement of the concrete, there will be no pay reduction.

346-7.2  Transit Mixing: This specification was revised (7/2009) to make it clear that the addition of water or
admixtures is not permitted if the number of mixing revolutions will exceeded 160. For each concrete truck used
on a specific placement, a quality control (QC) technician should verify that the revolution counter is functioning
properly at least once per day. The QC technician must observe the counter directly regardless of where in the
vehicle it is located. CEI staff should occasionally perform a quality assurance inspection of counters by direct
observation.

346-7.7  Adding Water to Concrete at the

Placement Site: Concrete Field Technicians
ACCEPTANCE OF CONCRETE BASED ON
that are responsible for ensuring that concrete SLUMP TESTING AT THE PROJECT SITE
consistency is acceptable are often unsure
about when water may be added at the project TOLERANCE SLUMP RANGE ( 3 “ )

site and when it may not be added. The REJECT

1-1/2 ” DRY 1-1/2 ” WET
REJECT

following cases cover when water may be ACCEPT - WATER MUST ACCEPT - WATER MUST
NOT BE ADDED NOT BE ADDED
added and when not as graphically displayed in
the accompanying chart for projects let prior to
July 1, 2010. TOO TOO TOO TOO
DRY DRY WET WET

 As the chart shows, if the slump falls 3/4 ” DRY 3/4 ” WET

within the green zone or Target Range TARGET

ACCEPT - NOTIFY SLUMP
(1-1/2” wide) the addition of water is PLANT TO ADJUST & TARGET SLUMP RANGE ( 1-1/2 ” )
ACCEPT - NOTIFY
PLANT TO ADJUST
MAY ADD WATER
not permitted. AT SITE

 If the slump is in the amber zone or

Tolerance Range (3” wide) but outside
the Target Range then water may be

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 added if in the too dry amber zone but cannot be added if in the too wet amber zone.
 Water must not be added to concrete with a slump outside the Tolerance Range (too dry and too wet red
zones) but must be rejected and not placed. Concrete in the too dry red zone is likely to be critically
deficient because concrete this dry often means that the aggregates in the concrete are not fully
saturated with water. When this happens, even if water is added on site to bring the mix into the green
zone, the problem cannot be reliably corrected by simply adding water because aggregates can take up
to 24 hours to fully saturate. This means that the mix will only stay in the green zone for a short time
because the aggregates will draw moisture out of the cement in order to re-saturate. If enough water is
absorbed, the concrete may return to the too dry red zone which would result in seriously deficient
concrete that has already been placed. To make matters worse, it is highly likely that this deficient
condition will not be revealed unless it results in a performance of durability problem at a much later date.

Concrete acceptance samples are required to come from the middle of the truck drum which will be cubic
yards 4 through 7. This means that a minimum of 3 cubic yards are placed in the component before
discharge is stopped pending the results of plastic properties tests. If the tests require rejection of the
concrete then the CEI inspector should record, in the daily diary, approximately where in the component
the rejected concrete is located. This is very important, because if the cylinder breaks of the rejected
concrete show low strength then the component they represent will have to be cored and the cores will
have to be broken to verify whether or not the in place concrete also has low strength. Locating where
coring is to be done is much more difficult if an approximate location of the rejected concrete is not
recorded during the placement operation.

Technicians are often unsure about when to perform a slump test. The slump should be tested on the following
occasions:

 A Concrete Field Technician (CEI or Contractor) must observe the consistency of the concrete for each
truck arriving at the project site, even when not scheduled for acceptance testing, as discharge begins.
The technician should look for signs of excessive dryness or wetness and if in the technician’s judgment,
one of these conditions exists then discharge should be stopped and a slump test should be performed to
verify the water content. The result of the slump test will dictate an action as shown in the accompanying
chart: no water can be added, water can be added, or the load must be rejected. These observations of
3
every truck are very important because as many as 18 loads (180 yd when the QC sampling rate is
3
every 100 yd ) of concrete could be delivered between acceptance samples that are tested for plastic
properties (slump, air, temperature). Therefore, if a responsible technician is not observing each load as
it arrives then as many as 18 loads could be placed but be out of target, or worse, be out of tolerance.
This would happen without the Department knowing that potentially failing concrete was placed which
could have significant consequences if the structure is compromised as a result.
 When a concrete truck arrives at the site and if the first slump test is in the too dry amber zone (out of
target dry) water may be added to move the slump into the green zone (target range). After the water is
added, the truck drum must be rotated at least 30 revolutions at mixing speed and then another slump
must be performed to verify that the added water had the desired result of moving it into the green zone.
At the same time, the concrete plant must be notified that the mix is out of target and that an adjustment
should be made to the mix that will result in concrete within the target. All unadjusted trucks that arrive at
the site after the out of target truck must be slump tested since it is likely that they have out of target
concrete as well and will require additional water. Finally, when the first adjusted truck arrives at the site,
it must be slump tested in order to verify that the adjustment was effective. This procedure is the same
for too wet amber zone slump tests except that the addition of water is not permitted.
 When a concrete truck arrives at the site and if the first slump test is in the too dry or too wet red zone
(out of tolerance) the truck must be rejected and the plant must be notified of this and that an adjustment
must be made to the mix that will result in concrete within target. All unadjusted trucks that arrive at the
site after the rejected truck must be slump tested since it is likely that they have out of tolerance concrete
as well. Finally, when the first adjusted truck arrives at the site, it must be slump tested in order to verify
that the adjustment was effective.

346-7.8  Sample Location: All concrete samples (initial and acceptance) must be taken at the point of
discharge of the bucket unless the bucket can be fully discharged within 25% of the total transit time (22.5
minutes for a 90 minute mix and 15 minutes for a 60 minute mix) in which case the sample may be taken from the

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end of the trough of the mixer truck. For all other transport methods (pump, conveyor, etc.) initial and acceptance
samples must be taken from the discharge end of the transport device unless a correlation test is performed by
the Contractor establishing how much the slump changes when a pump or conveyor is used. For example, a
sample is taken from the back of the truck and another sample of the same load is taken from the end of the
pump hose. The slump of both samples is determined and the end of pump sample has ½” less slump than the
back of the truck sample. If this same difference is repeated on a number of samples over a period of time then a
consistent pattern or correlation of ½” inch loss due to pumping can be established. Thereafter, samples may be
taken from the back of the truck as long as the recorded slump value is adjusted down by ½”. However, if
conditions change (average ambient air temperature changes by 15 degrees, pumping distance changes
significantly, type of pump truck changes) then a new correlation test must be performed. Correlations may also
be established when buckets are used to allow the concrete to be sampled at the back of the truck instead of at
the point of discharge of the bucket.

346-9.1  General - Curing Facilities (Curing Box): Concrete acceptance cylinders must be stored in a field
box that is capable of maintaining a temperature of between 60°F and 80°F as specified in ASTM C 31. The
temperature must be verified by keeping a high/low thermometer inside the box when cylinders are being stored.
This type thermometer has markers showing the highest and lowest temperatures inside the box for a given time
period. Maintaining proper temperature inside the box is important because if it is too cold or too hot, cylinder
strength may not be representative of the component being confirmed. The box may have to be heated in very
cold weather or have ice added in very hot weather. CEI staff must verify that boxes function properly and this
issue should be discussed at a pre-operations meeting prior to the first concrete placement of the project.

400 Concrete Structures

400-5.7  Stay-In-Place (SIP) Metal Forms: The current specification is as follows: If metal support angles are
field welded to beam straps in place, protect permanent structural steel components from damage by using a
shield to guard against weld splatter, weld overrun, arc strikes, or other damaging effect of the welding process.
This requirement is critical because improper welding procedures can cause imperfections in the steel that may
lead to fatigue damage and eventually to failure.

The specification has been revised (7/2009) to allow SIP forms to be used in moderately and extremely
aggressive environments: previously their use was only allowed in slightly aggressive environments. This change
was possible because a polymer coating is now available which protects metal panel and angle surfaces from
corrosion when used in moderately and extremely aggressive environments such as over bodies of salt water.
Instead of one SIP form system as before there are now three additional systems that require use of polymer
coatings as described below. All of these systems may be used with an added cover sheet that is installed in the
field and covers the entire top surface of a panel, and if used, they prevent the flutes from being filled with
concrete or Styrofoam and may increase the bending strength of the panel slightly over what it would be without a
cover. If covers are used, Specification 400-5.7.1 indicates when the cover must be polymer coated depending
on the environmental classification. All the SIP systems may also be used with a cover across the entire bottom
surface of a panel that is installed in the fabrication plant and when this is done, the panel and cover together are
referred to as a cellular form. The use of cellular forms eliminates the corrugated appearance of non-cellular
forms when looking up at the bottom of the deck and this is considered desirable when a higher level of aesthetics
is required. The use of cellular forms is not permitted when the environmental classification is moderately or
extremely aggressive.

1) Galvanized form components with polymer coating on the form top only:
This system - see accompanying photo - allows Styrofoam to be used for
slightly aggressive environments in form panel flutes as a replacement for
concrete which reduces deck weight significantly. However, unlike concrete
which will absorb water that leaks into the flutes after the deck is in service,
Styrofoam will not. A corrosion environment may develop if the water
combines with certain other elements and this can cause premature panel
deterioration and eventual failure. Therefore, if Styrofoam is used then the
form top components must be polymer coated.

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2) Galvanized form components with polymer coating
on the form bottom only: This system does not allow
the use of Styrofoam in form panel flutes but does
allow the SIP form system to be used in moderately or
extremely aggressive environments. This system
requires polymer coating on all form components
except the panels which are required to be coated on
the bottom only: see accompanying photo. The
coating protects the panel surfaces directly exposed to
corrosive elements, such as salt spray from the ocean,
from premature deterioration. Panels are delivered to
the project in large stacks and individual panels are taken off the top of the stack and are usually placed
without inspecting the bottom surface of the panel. CEI staff should mention to the Contractor prior to the
start of panel placement that coating imperfections do occur so it is important to inspect top and bottom
surfaces prior to placing panels. Panels with minor imperfections may be field coated with approval of the
Engineer but panels with significant coating imperfections should be rejected.

3) Galvanized form components with polymer coating on form top and bottom: This system may be used
in moderately and extremely aggressive environments with Styrofoam in the flutes and all system
components must be polymer coated.

The accompanying beam cross-section details

show how the coated SIP forms are
assembled with screws instead of with tack
welds since welding would damage the
polymer coating.

The form coating application process as shown to the right is as

follows:

● Sheet steel SIP components are galvanized.

● The surface of the galvanizing is chemically treated in order to

insure that the polymer laminate adheres to it properly.

● The polymer laminate is applied to the treated galvanized surface

● All of this takes place prior to cold forming; however, the laminate is
flexible and strong enough to withstand cold forming without
reduction in performance or durability.

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400-7.1.3  Wind Velocity Restrictions: This new article states: Do not place concrete for bridge decks if the
forecast of average wind velocity at any time during the planned hours of concrete placement exceeds 15 mph.
Obtain weather forecasts from the National Weather Service “Hourly Weather Graph” for the city closest to the
project site.

This text was added because experience has shown that when the wind velocity exceeds 15 mph, rapid drying of
concrete surfaces or excessive evaporation of surface moisture in the concrete cannot be controlled effectively
using common practices. If not controlled, excessive drying is likely to cause cracking that is referred to as
“plastic shrinkage cracking” since cracks form prior to initial set of the concrete while the concrete is still plastic.

This specification requires Contractors to consult the National Weather Service (NWS), Hourly Weather Graph,
for wind velocity forecasts prior to a planned placement in order to determine if wind velocity will be a postponing
factor. CEI staff should also check the NWS website in order to verify that the Contractor has satisfied the
specification requirement properly. The NWS home page internet address is as follows:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov. On the NWS home page, input the name of the city closest to the project site in the
window at the top left of the screen and press ENTER. A new page will be displayed and at the bottom, select
“Hourly Weather Graph” which will automatically display weather forecast data including wind velocity 48 hours in
advance of the input time. An example Hourly Weather Graph can be seen in the accompanying sample
computer display.

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400-7.10  Requirements for Successive Layers: This specification requires horizontal layers of concrete,
commonly referred to as lifts, to be approximately 12 inches thick or less. For example, a 4 foot thick footing
should be placed using four, 12” lifts. Keeping lifts in the 12” thick range, allows each lift to be placed in 20
minutes or less for most components. This is important because placement of each subsequent lift must take
place before the previous lift gets too stiff. If a lift is too thick which causes it to take much more than 20 minutes
to place then excessive stiffening of the underlying lift is likely. Lifts that are too stiff will not allow a vibrator to
penetrate them from the lift above. If the vibrator cannot penetrate then the interface between lifts will form a
permanent cold joint. The component is designed to perform without cold joints and; therefore, cold joints
become a design issue that has to be resolved by a formal review process that can result in expensive corrective
measures or even removal. The CEI staff should discuss this specification requirement with the Contractor at the
pre-operations meeting prior to starting any concrete placement requiring multiple lifts and should confirm
compliance with the specification during the actual placement.

Sometimes cold joints are unavoidable due to unforeseen weather events, delayed concrete delivery, etc. When
cold joints occur, a formal review process is required which takes significant time and effort. The time and effort
can be minimized if the Contractor consults with the Engineer of Record to determine the size and quantity of
vertical rebars that will be required to mechanically connect the layers above and below the cold joint. The rebars
can be provided at the site of placement for immediate use and if a cold joint is unavoidable they can be inserted
vertically into the lower lift before the concrete gets too stiff and will extend into the lift above when placement
resumes. The rebar installation eliminates the need for a formal review or any other action. The CEI staff should
mention this option to the Contractor during the pre-operations meeting particularly for projects that have a large
number of placements which require complex concrete delivery procedures thus increasing the likelihood of cold
joints.

400-7.13.3  Screeding Operations – Applying Water to Deck Surfaces: For bridges that are categorized as
“Long” (structure length in excess of 100’) application of water to the deck during placement and after screeding,
while the concrete is plastic, is no longer permitted unless authorized by the Engineer. This is because decks of
long bridges are planed for improved ride quality after curing which removes ¼ to ½ inch of the deck surface.
This means that the concrete surface of the deck does not need to be floated or broomed after screeding since
this surface will be planed off later; therefore, there is no need to add water to improve workability during floating
or finishing. CEI staff should discuss this issue with the Contractor at the pre-operations meeting prior to the first
deck placement.

400-15.2.6.4  Application of Class 5 Applied Finish Coating: The application rate (50 square feet plus or
minus 10 square feet per gallon) for Class 5 applied finish coating has not always been complied with in the last
few years. The duration of the service life for Class 5 finish is governed by the quantity of coating that is applied:
the less coating applied the shorter is the service life assuming that proper application procedures are followed.
CEI staff must verify compliance with the spread rate on all projects with coatings. Written records must be kept
showing the number of gallons that were used to coat a given square footage of surface as well as the resultant
spread rate in square feet/gallon. The Contractor may produce these records but their accuracy must be verified
by the CEI staff. If, for any reason, the CEI staff considers the number of gallons used to be in question or if CEI
staff is unable to witness the coating being taken from source containers during application then the coating
thickness can be measured to confirm that it is in compliance; however, the thickness may not exceed 1/8”
because a coat that is too thick is much more likely to peel or flake. If the coating thickness needs to be
measured, contact Paul Vinik in the State Materials Office to find out how best to determine the required coating
thickness and how to measure it.

400-16.1  General – Moisture Evaporation Monitoring and Control: This specification was revised to make
clearer the importance of controlling moisture evaporation from concrete surfaces prior to application of curing
compound and what measures should be implemented to prevent excessive evaporation. This is what the
revised specification says: Until curing has begun, retain concrete surface moisture at all times by maintaining a
2
surface moisture evaporation rate less than 0.1 lb/ft /hr. Periodically, at the site of concrete placement prior to and
during the operation, measure the ambient air temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity with industrial
grade weather monitoring instruments to determine the on-site evaporation rate. If the evaporation is, or is likely
2
to become 0.1 lb/ft /hr or greater, employ measures to prevent moisture loss such as application of evaporation
retarder, application of supplemental moisture by fogging or reduction of the concrete temperature during

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batching. Compute the evaporation rate by using the nomograph in the ACI manual of Concrete Practice Part 2,
Section 308R, Guide to Curing Concrete, or by using an evaporation rate calculator approved by the Engineer.

Devices that measure ambient air temperature, humidity and wind velocity are available as separate devices or in
one device. There is also a device that will display evaporation rate directly: see accompanying photo. These
devices are carried by Nielsen-Kellerman Waterproof Electronics Company
(http://www.nkhome.com/ww/wwindex.html). Evaporation rate input parameters (concrete
temperature, ambient air temperature, humidity, and wind velocity) can be measured
separately with less sophisticated devices and then used as input with the ACI nomograph to
determine the evaporation rate. In lieu of the nomograph, an easy to use and accurate internet
based evaporation rate calculator can be used and the website address is:
http://construction.asu.edu/cim/cimasu1/curing/curingfirstpage.htm.

Evaporation rates increased dramatically as wind velocity increases and humidity decreases
so careful monitoring is particularly important during times of the year when humidity is low and
wind velocity is high such as Spring and Fall. Of course, very hot weather will always produce
increased evaporation because the hotter the concrete gets the higher is the rate of moisture
loss regardless of wind velocity or humidity so careful monitoring during very hot weather is
always critical. The following table contains examples of typical weather conditions at different
times of the year in Florida with their corresponding evaporation rates.

Sample Weather Data for Various Florida Seasons with Corresponding Evaporation Rates
Ambient Air Concrete Wind
Relative Evaporation
Typical Florida Season Temperature Temperature Velocity
Humidity (%) Rate (lbs/ft2/hr)
(°F) (°F) (mph)
Windy Winter Day 65 25 80 15 0.34
Summer Day 90 65 95 10 0.19
Summer Night 72 90 85 5 0.08

As can be seen from the table, a cool windy winter day produces the highest evaporation rate which far exceeds
the 0.1 limit. This means that the Contractor will have to employ measures to control the evaporation rate such as
the application of evaporation retarder: an inexpensive fluid that is sprayed onto the surface which holds in
moisture. The summer night condition is below the 0.1 limit so no measures are required. The CEI staff should
make Contractors aware of the fact that evaporation rates are low at night. Other advantages of night placements
include reduced traffic congestion that can delay concrete delivery, concrete plants that produce concrete for the
project only and so are less stressed, and easier working conditions for workers. CEI staff should verify that the
Contractor is measuring evaporation rates accurately by performing independent weather data gathering and
evaporation rate determinations using weather monitoring instruments of their own. The specification does not
directly penalize the Contractor for failing to control the evaporation rate; however, deliberate violation of this
specification must be reflected in the Contactor’s Past Performance Report (CPPR) and the cracks that may
result from a violation, with consequent repair costs, will be a very negative consequence.

400-16.2 and 16.4  Methods – Curing Bridge Decks with Membrane Curing Compound: The proper
application of curing compound may be the most important curing requirement performed so it is critical that it be
done correctly. Curing compound must be applied at a spread rate of not less than 1 gallon per 150 square feet
and within 120 minutes of initial concrete placement. At this coverage rate, the deck surface should look
completely white after application of the compound and should not have any areas that appear to be uncoated or
where coating thickness is obviously deficient. Curing compound must also be applied to deck areas that will be
beneath barrier walls. Prior to concrete placement, the Contractor is required to tell the Engineer how the number
of gallons of curing compound will be measured. For example, a graduated rod that reads gallons will be lowered
into a 55 gallon drum of curing compound and will directly measure remaining gallons. The Contractor is also
required to report to the Engineer how many gallons, at the required spread rate, it will take to meet the

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specification requirements prior to application, and finally, the Contractor is required to report to the Engineer the
actual gallons used after completing application.

Compound should be applied to a deck while the surface is still damp; however, compound will be effective even
if diluted somewhat because the deck is still a little wet. Waiting until there is no doubt that the surface is damp
may result in a surface that has dried beyond the damp condition. It is better for the compound to be diluted a
little but still be effective then to apply the compound to a deck that is too dry. However, compound should not be
applied to a deck with areas of standing water.

400-16.6  Traffic Barriers, Railings, Parapets and End Post – Curing Concrete: Slip formed barrier walls
require the use of self supporting concrete which has minimal moisture content. Because of the low moisture
content, exposed barrier wall surfaces dry rapidly which can cause cracking. In order to prevent excessive drying,
the specification requires the application of curing compound within 30 minutes of concrete extrusion or loss of
water sheen whichever comes first. The application rate must be 1 gal/150 square feet and the Contractor must
report his method for measuring the gallons of compound used as well as how much was used after application.
To maximize the effectiveness of the curing compound, it must not be removed prior to seven days after
application. CEI staff should verify that the Contractor complies with the curing compound spread rates and
duration of coverage.

If barrier wall placement is a critical path item, the Contractor may want to use a Class 5 Applied Finish Coating
(textured paint) in lieu of curing compound and this also has to be applied within 30 minutes. However, if this
product is used, a standby conventional curing compound application system must be available at all times in
case the painting operation is interrupted. The Class 5 Applied Finish Coating used for the routine painting of
concrete surfaces shall not be used in lieu of curing compound; but instead, an approved Class 5 Applied Finish
Coating specifically designed for this purpose is required. These Class 5 finishes are not listed on the QPL so the
Chemical Laboratory of the State Materials Office must approve any Class 5 finish material that is requested for
curing use by a Contractor on a project by project basis.

400-21  Disposition of Cracked Concrete: This specification was dramatically changed in 2007 to take into
account additional factors that influence how best to repair a crack. New factors include the elevation of the crack
with regard to mean high water, the addition of more crack width ranges and the measurement of cracking
severity.

The elevation is important because the closer the crack gets to salt water the more likely are the steel rebars to
corrode prematurely, and conversely, the rebars in a crack far above salt water will not be effected significantly.
The previous version of the specification did not take this into account. The number of crack width ranges was
increased from 3 to 8 because 3 ranges did not account for the effect of width on susceptibility to deterioration
accurately enough. A measure of crack severity, referred to in the specification as “Cracking Significance,” was
added because the previous version treated the significance of one crack in a component the same as hundreds
of cracks which was obviously not adequate since the impact of many cracks on long term durability will be much
more significant then will one crack.

Recently, the specification was revised (7/2009) to make it clearer in general but there were also specific changes
as well. The article had always applied to cast-in-place concrete components but it now applies to precast
components as well with the exception of those covered by Specification 449, Precast Concrete Drainage
Products. It applies to precast components, only after the component has been installed since precast
components are produced in a plant and the specifications that govern plant operations contain provisions for
dealing with cracks if they happen while still in the plant. Nonstructural cracks are now defined as having a depth
of not greater than ½” unless the Engineer determines that a crack is nonstructural even if greater than ½”.
Cracks with depths greater than ½” or that are partially or completely submerged during their service life, are
considered to be structural unless they are in a slightly aggressive environment. The repair of nonstructural
cracks was previously based on computing the average width of all cracks in a LOT and then using that crack
width to determine one type of repair, as shown in the specification table, for all the cracks in that LOT. Cracks
are now required to be repaired, as shown in the specification table, according to their individual width. The
reason for this change is because in any LOT, cracks may vary in width from very narrow to very wide. When
cracks are very narrow they rarely need any correction and when cracks are very wide they usually need

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extensive correction; however, by applying the average crack width, as before the specification was revised,
narrow cracks may have required unnecessary repairs and wide cracks might not have been repaired adequately.

416 Installing Adhesive-Bonded Anchors and Dowels for Structural Applications

416-6.1  Field Testing: Dowels that are used to connect a new bridge barrier wall to an existing bridge curb
are examples of adhesive-bonded anchors. These types of anchors are installed by drilling a hole, filling it with an
approved adhesive and then inserting the anchor dowel into the hole which squeezes out the excess adhesive.
These type anchors are designed to develop high levels of pull out resistance as required during a vehicle impact
which makes it critical that they not fail. In order to ensure that the likelihood of failure is very low, the installed
anchor dowels are randomly tested (pull out test) by attaching them to a jack that applies the minimum specified
pull out force they must be able to resist. In the past, the number dowels that were required to be pull out tested
were a minimum of 10% per LOT; however, it was decided that 10% was an unnecessarily high sampling rate so
it was changed and is now 4%. If the pullout tests consistently pass then the rate may be reduced to 2% and
even to 1%; however, any test failure requires a return to the 4% rate.

The specification requires the pulling force to be 85% of the specified bond strength of the adhesive but not more
than 90% of the yield strength of the dowel. However, in the case of proof loading of base plate anchor bolts in
Design Standard Index No. 470, Traffic-Railing (Thrie-Beam Retrofit), and for Dowel bars in Design Standard
Index No. 480, Traffic Railing (Vertical Face Retrofit), the pulling force shall be as specified in the Traffic Railing
Notes under Adhesive-Bonded Anchors and Dowels of index 470 or 480. For example: a pulling force of 15,000
lbs. is required by index 470 for a 7/8” diameter anchor bolt.

450 Precast Prestressed Concrete Construction

450-16.2  Storage - Measuring Camber: This specification requires the Contractor to measure and record
beam camber once per month while beams are in storage at the plant and to keep the records on file for review of
the Engineer: measurements are actually done by the beam Producer. As mentioned in this course under
Miscellaneous Specification Related Issues, Topic A, Excessively Thick Beam Buildups, the Contractor should
review these records before pier/bent cap pedestal construction begins so that elevation adjustments can be
made if camber measurements are significantly different then are the estimates shown in the plans. By doing
this, the Contractor will be able to avoid excessively thick beam buildups, the consequences of which are covered
in aforementioned Topic A. CEI staff should remind the Contractor that the measurement information is available
and is vital for avoiding excessively thick buildups.

460 Structural Steel and Miscellaneous Metals

460-5.2.1  Rotational Capacity (RC) Test – Bolts: A Rotational
Capacity test must be performed at the project site on two bolt
assemblies (bolt, nut and washer) of each LOT. The purpose of the
test is to make sure that the bolt assembly, not only has the minimum
tension strength required by the specification, but that it also has a
certain amount of reserve tension strength that provides a factor of
safety. Without reserve strength, bolts would fail too often because the
tightening process is not precise enough to avoid over tightening of
bolts well beyond the required minimum strength. The reserve strength
significantly reduces the number of failed bolts that have to be removed
and replaced during assembly of connections. The RC test requires
the bolt assembly to be placed in a Skidmore Tension Analyzer (see
accompanying photo) and then tightened according to the procedure
specified in Florida Method (FM) 5-581 (long bolts) or FM 5-582 (short
bolts). The Skidmore directly measures the tension in the bolt as it is
tightened and displays the tension force in kips on a dial gage attached
to the load measuring device. Skidmore Tension Analyzer

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The bolt assembly must pass the following three performance measures that are determined by the RC test
before the LOT can be accepted: (1) bolt tension strength must be developed that is 15% above the minimum
required by the specification; (2) the torque, applied by a calibrated torque wrench and measured in foot-pounds,
required to develop the minimum tension must not exceed the limit that is calculated by the formula: 0.25 X Bolt
Diameter X Tension Force; and (3) after the test, the nut must be able to be removed from the bolt with minimal
effort.

The Contractor’s technician must perform the RC test which must be witnessed by a CEI inspector who shall
verify that the test is performed in full compliance with the applicable Florida Method. The inspector must be
experienced and knowledgeable about the test method and required documentation. The Contractor must record
the test data (tension value, torque value, required tension, maximum required torque, etc.) and the inspector
must verify the accuracy of the data and retain a copy for the CEI project records. The SPE/PA must review the
test procedure with the Contractor prior to the first test and the Contractor’s data collection form must be reviewed
for adequacy and completeness prior to use.

460-5.4.8  Turn-of-Nut Tightening – Daily Snug Tight Torque Test for Bolts: Each day that bolts are being
installed in a permanent structure, a test must be performed to determine what bolt torque will be needed to snug
the connection. The connection is snugged or is “Snug Tight” when the surfaces of the connection plates,
referred to as the faying surfaces, are in full contact with each other which
requires the bolts to be tightened to a tension of between 10% and 20% of the
minimum final tension. If the connection has been snugged properly then
when the bolt is turned a further measured amount, that is called out in the
specification, the resulting tension in the bolt will be at least the minimum
required by the specification for a fully tightened bolt. The procedure used for
turning the nut after snugging is referred to as the “Turn-of-Nut” method which
is explained in detail in Section 649-5 of this document.

A “Daily Snug Tight Torque Test” (Specification 460-5.4.8) is required to be

performed on 5 bolt assemblies each day for each LOT and the average of 3
tests – the highest and lowest of the 5 are not used – becomes the “Daily Snug
Tight Torque”. The test must be performed by the Contractor’s technician and
must be witnessed by the CEI inspector and requires the use of a Skidmore
Tension Analyzer. The correct snug tight torque for that day is determined by
tightening the nut using a spud wrench or an impact wrench to a trial tension as
measured by the Skidmore after which the nut receives further tightened using
the Turn-of-Nut method. If the Skidmore shows a tension after the Turn-of Nut
that is at or slightly above 1.05 times the minimum final tension then the trial
snug tight tension is acceptable. If the minimum final tension is not produced
by the turned nut then a new higher trial snug tight tension must be applied and
the procedure repeated until an acceptable minimum final tension is produced
by the trial snug tight tension. Once the correct snug tight tension is
established then the remaining bolts must be tested using the same snug tight
wrench settings or turning force used for the trial bolt. The test data for all 5
bolts must be recorded on the Contractor’s form and the average of the middle
3 results will be the snug tight torque that must be used all that day.

The daily snug tight torque test must be performed each day because the snug tight torque can vary significantly
from day to day due to a number of factors that influence the degree of contact friction between the nut and bolt
surfaces. These factors are as follows: temperature of the nut and bolt, relative humidity, smoothness and
cleanliness of the contact surfaces, and degree of lubrication. A high level of bolt cleanliness and lubrication must
be maintained by properly protecting the bolt assembles from the elements at all times while they are in storage.

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The Contractor must record the test data
(tension values, torque values, required
tension, average torque, etc.) and the
inspector must verify its accuracy and retain a
copy for CEI project records. The SPE/PA
must review the daily snug tight test
procedure with the Contractor prior to the first
test and the Contractor’s data collection form
must be reviewed for adequacy and
completeness prior to use.

Once the daily snug tight torque is

determined then installation of bolts in the
connection can begin. The inspector must
witness this process and the order in which
the bolts must be tightened, referred to as the
sequence of bolting (see accompanying
drawing) must be followed for snugging and
for final Turn-of-Nut tightening. As can be
seen in the drawing, the bolts at the center of
the connection are tightened first followed by the bolts that are farther and farther out. Following this sequence is
very important because if the connection plates are warped, this sequence will usually remove the warps as the
sequence progresses. If the sequence is not followed then the warps will not be removed which is likely to result
in loosening of the initially tightened bolts as the sequence progresses.

Once the Contractor is satisfied that all bolts in the connection are snug tight and that all faying surfaces are in
contact then the CEI inspector must personally verify that the bolts have the correct daily snug tight torque by
checking the torque of 3 bolts or 10% of the bolts whichever is larger (Specification 460-5.4.11). The
accompanying photo shows an inspector performing a torque verification test on a box girder connection with
hundreds of bolts. If a sample bolt fails the test then all bolts in the connection must be torque tested and the
Turn-of-Nut must not be applied until all bolts have the required snug tight torque value. The CEI inspector must
record the results of verification testing and this information must be kept on file in the project records.

460-5.4.9  Direct-Tension-Indicator (DTI) Tightening - Bolts:

Another method for ensuring that bolts are tightened to the minimum
tension required by the specification, other then Turn-of-Nut, is to use
a Direct Tension Indicator (DTI). A DTI looks like an ordinary washer
except that its surface has a number of protrusions as seen in the
accompanying photo. The DTI is placed between the bolt head and
the plate with the protrusions against the bottom of the bolt head as
seen in the accompanying photo. Prior to tightening the nut, there is
an initial gap between the bottom of the bolt head and the top of the
DTI because of the protrusions. As the nut is tightened, the
protrusions are crushed which reduces the initial gap and when it is
not more than 5 mils, as determined by a feeler gage, then the Sample Direct Tension Indicators
minimum bolt tension has been achieved. The gap may be less than
5 mils but should never be zero since this may be an indication of over tightening.

DTI’s are very accurate and can be more economical for achieving the minimum tension then is the Turn-of-Nut
method because they require far less bolt installation labor since match marking and daily snug tight tests are
unnecessary. A type of DTI referred to as a “Squirter” DTI has orange gel in the voids behind the protrusions as
seen in the accompanying photo. When the 5 mil gap is achieved, the gel squirts out the sides of the DTI which
eliminates the need for a feeler gage during the tightening process. If DTI’s are used, the CEI inspector must
verify each gap with a feeler gage, even when squirter DTIs are used, and the procedure for doing this is covered
by Specification 460-5.4.9.2. In addition to the RC test required by Specification 460-5.2.1, an additional test is
required for DTIs to verify that DTI LOTs are accurate and this is covered by Specification 460-5.2.2.

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 The Contractor and CEI inspector must keep appropriate
records of DTI tests and of the tightening operation and these
records must be kept on file. The SPE/PA must review the
test procedures and tightening procedures with the Contractor
prior to the first test and tightening operation and the
Contractor’s data collection form must be reviewed for
adequacy and completeness prior to use. Many Contractors
are unaware of DTIs since they are relatively new to Florida
so the SPE/PA should discuss their use with the Contractor at
the preconstruction conference since use of DTIs could save
time and effort for the Contractor and CEI.

460-7.1.3  Erection Plan: This article requires the

Contractor to submit an erection plan that addresses 9
categories of information related to erecting steel components
of the project. The submittals must comply with Specification
5-1.4 and are required for all steel erection operations whether they affect public safety or not. It is the
responsibility of the SPE/PA to review these plans for completeness and conformity to contact documents and not
for approval; however, if the SPE/PA has issues then these should to be addressed by the Contractor before the
work begins. The erection plan must be signed and sealed by a Specialty Engineer and must have calculations
when warranted. If public safety is affected then a pre-erection meeting must be held by the Contractor two
weeks prior to work at which the Specialty Engineer and SPE/PA must be present.

460-7.5  Preparation of Bearing Areas and Setting of Bearings: Bearings must be positioned as precisely
as possible since misaligned bearings can cause a number of serious durability problems. This is particularly true
for a steel pot bearing, a typical example of which is shown in the accompanying drawing. The specification sets
tight centerline of bearing tolerances of 1/16” transversely and 1/4” longitudinally. These tolerances are not easy
to achieve so the Contractor’s staff must pay careful attention to the bearing centers of the fabricated beams in
relation to the centerline of the bearings on top of pier/bent caps. For example, if the dimension between bearing
centers of a steel beam is 100’ but the dimension between the centerline of the bearings it will be supported by is
100’-1” then the beam will be longitudinally out of tolerance an average of 3/4” (1”-1/4”) which is much greater
than the 1/4” maximum allowed by the specification.

Misalignment errors can be prevented if the Contractor

requests the as-fabricated bearing center geometry of the
beam from the fabricator and compares it to the centerline of
bearing geometry in the field prior to delivery of the beams to
the project site. If the comparison shows tolerance problems
then the bearings can be adjusted prior to erection which will
eliminate the need to correct misaligned beams by jacking
when beams are erected before tolerance problems are
discovered. For extreme situations, bearing adjustments may
not be adequate by themselves and the beams or caps may
have to be modified prior to erection. Correction of
misalignments by jacking of already erected beams is a very
undesirable practice and must not be done unless approved
by the Engineer and only as a last resort. The SPE/PA must
make sure that the Contractor is clear about requiring the
Engineer’s approval for jacking since improper jacking can
damage the substructure and/or superstructure severely
which may not be obvious until performance or durability is
compromised at a much later date. EOR recommendations
may also be required depending on the degree of
misalignment which may cause the Engineer to prohibit
jacking entirely in favor of using cranes to reposition the
beams.

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Setting of anchor bolts that connect a bearing to the pier or bent cap must also be done precisely. The most
common method for facilitating the setting of anchor bolts is by forming a cylindrical void (blockout) in the cap
during concrete placement. Later, the anchor bolt is positioned in the void and then grouted in once its proper
position is confirmed. This method works well if the blockout is securely fastened to the rebar cage and cannot
move while the concrete is fluid. When significant misalignment of a blockout occurs, a new void may have to be
provided by core drilling. Drilling must not begin without the Engineer’s approval which may also require a
recommendation from the EOR. If drilling is done improperly then critical pier/bent cap rebars may be damaged
or completely severed which may not be discovered until performance or durability is compromised at a much
later date. The SPE/PA must make sure that the Contractor is fully aware that drilling is not permitted until
approved by the Engineer.

Another very important concern related to the proper setting of bearings is the temperature of the beam when it is
0
lowered onto the bearings. Designers assume that the beam temperature will be 70 F when the beams and
bearings are dimensioned for the plans because data has shown it to be the average annual temperature of the
beam. Knowing the average temperature is important because it allows the designer to minimize the amount of
movement the bearing must accommodate which reduces the cost of the bearing. Of course beams are rarely
0
70 F when placed so the Contractor has to take this into account by compensating for the temperature variation.
Steel beams expand and contract significantly as their temperature varies and the following rule of thumb
approximates the magnitude of expansion or contraction: a 100’ long beam will change length (lengthen or
0
shorten) by 1/8” for every 15 F change in temperature. If the beam is 200’ long it will change 2/8” and so on. So
0 0 0
for example, a 250’ long beam that is 55 F (15 F cooler than the 70 F design temperature) will shorten by 2.5
0
eighths of an inch or 5/16”. If the same beam is 30 F cooler it will shorten 5/8”. The length change issue is
important and if not taken into account, the bearing may be positioned out of tolerance. For example: if the beam
0
temperature indicates that a 5/8” expansion adjustment (the beam is hotter than 70 F) of the bearing is required
than as one end of the beam is lowered onto its steel bearing the bearing centerline should be positioned 5/8”
0
toward the opposite end of the beam. If the adjustment is done properly then when the beam cools to 70 F it will
shorten to a length that positions so the beam center and bearing centerline coincide. If the adjustment is not
made then when the beam gets very cold in the winter it may cause the bearing to exceed its movement limit
which may result in bearing and/or beam damage.

The bearing adjustments mentioned above

apply to steel pot and other type bearings
that have sliding plates to accommodate
movement and are adjusted by using slotted
holes in plates or by grouting the anchor bolts
after they are positioned at the adjusted
location within their blockouts. Elastomeric
bearings/pads (typical examples are shown it
the accompanying drawing) must be adjusted
after the beam is placed because they
accommodate expansion and contraction by
deforming so unless the temperature is
0
nearly 70 F when the beam is placed, they
may deform significantly until relieved.
Bearings are relieved when the load is
removed and they can return to an un-
deformed shape. If they are not relieved then
they may be subjected to excessive
deformation which can cause shearing and
cracking of the pad material and eventual
failure. The pad is relieved by raising the
beam off the pad a very small amount,
usually with flat jacks, when the temperature
0
is around 70 F. Most of the time the
misalignment is minor and the pad only needs to be relieved but sometimes the pad will need to be repositioned
as well. If the pad has very small deformations in its unrelieved state then it may not need to be relieved;
however, the EOR must be consulted for the final determination as to whether or not relief is needed.

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It is critical that the SPE/PA discuss these bearing issues with the Contractor well in advance of the start of any
bearing placement or beam erection operation.

502 Shear Connectors

502-1  Description: The 2010 Standard Specifications allows Contractors to install shear connectors on steel
beams in the field or in the shop. However, in September of 2009, OSHA changed their position on the practice
of shop installation of shear connectors and it is now prohibited due to tripping hazard concerns during the
placement of deck forms. CEI Staff shall discuss this issue with the Contractor prior to the start of beam
fabrication in order to make certain that the shear connectors are not mistakenly installed in the fabrication plant.
The specification has been revised as follows and is required on all projects:

502-1Description. Furnish and install welded shear connectors on steel beams and girders at locations
shown in the Contract Documents. Field weld shear connectors located on the top flange only after the deck
forms are in place. Installation of shear connectors in the fabrication plant is not permitted.

649 Steel Strain Poles, Steel Mast Arms and Monotube Assemblies
649-5  Installation – Bolting: Nuts of anchor bolts and non-anchor bolts are required to receive an initial
stage of tightening referred to as “Snug Tight Condition” or just “Snug Tight.” Snug tight is achieved when an
ironworker using an ordinary spud wrench turns the nut with full effort or as tight as possible without excessive
force.

For a non-anchor bolt connection such as the connection plates between a mast arm and its supporting pole, nuts
must be tightened to the initial stage of snug tight and then to a final stage. However, after both stages of
tightening the faying surfaces (surfaces of the connecting plates that are required to be in contact) must be in full
contact or the connection is not acceptable.
Final tightening is applied with what is
referred to as the “Turn-of-Nut” method which
requires the bolt head to be kept from turning
while the nut is rotated relative to the plate an
amount prescribed in specification Table 460-
7. For example, if a bolt is less than or equal
to four diameters long then the nut must be
turned relative to the plate, 1/3 of a turn or
120 degrees.

Match marking - see the accompanying

drawing for a match marking example - must
take place prior to turning the nut by marking
the plate then by marking the nut to coincide
with the plate mark and then by marking the
plate again at the position where rotation
must stop: for example, 1/3 of a turn. The nut
is then turned until the nut mark coincides
with the second mark on the plate. If there is any question about whether or not the bolt head can be kept from
turning then it is good practice to also mark the bolt to coincide with the initial plate mark so it will be obvious if the
bolt turns during nut rotation.

Tightening is acceptable when the turn is applied to all nuts of the connection and all faying surfaces are in full
contact. Minor isolated gaps between the faying surfaces may be permitted with approval of the Engineer. The
order in which nuts should be turned for both stages of tightening should keep clamping forces balanced as much
as possible. This means that adjacent nuts should never be tightened one after the other because this produces
unbalanced clamping forces which can lead to unacceptable gaps in the plates after all nuts have been tightened.

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Tightening of anchor bolts that connect the pole base plate to
the concrete foundation must be done in the sequence shown
in the specifications and the leveling nut standoff height
(distance from bottom of leveling nut to concrete foundation)
must not be more than one bolt diameter: see the
accompanying photo. Step one in the base plate connection
process is leveling and consists of incrementally adjusting the
leveling nuts until all are in direct contact with the bottom of
the base plate and the base plate is level in two directions
that are perpendicular to each other. Step two requires the
anchor bolts to be tightening to a snug tight condition against
the top of the base plate. For step three, the leveling nuts
must be tightened to a snug tight condition. The anchor bolts
receive match marked Turn-of-Nut tightening in step four and
the required amount of turn is specified in Table A of
specification 649-5. The retainer nut is tightened in step 5 to
a snug tight condition. During each stage of nut tightening (leveling, anchor bolt, retainer) use a tightening
sequence that, as nearly as possible, produces a balanced distribution of clamping forces on the base plate as
tightening progresses.

CEI staff should make every effort to witness all nut tightening operations, particularly turn-of-nut and match
marking operations and verify that all faying surfaces are in contact when tightening is complete. The installation
procedures should also be discussed in detail with the Contractor at the pre-operations meeting before any
installations takes place.

649-6  Screen Installation: The specification was revised

to require the use of screens to cover the gap between the
bottom of the base plate and the concrete foundation as seen
in the accompanying photo. The use of grout for this purpose
is no longer permitted by the specification due to widespread
durability problems. However, under certain circumstances a
District may wish to specify grout which will require a note in
the plans that requires grout and prohibits screens.

700 Highway Signing

700-2.5.3  Installation: Bolting procedures for highway
signs are as specified in 649-5 for anchor bolts and for
alternate slices of span sign structures. For all other bolts, nuts are tightened to a snug tight condition with all
faying surfaces in contact for the initial stage. For the final stage, nuts are tightened to a level of torque (see
Specification Table 700-1 for required minimum torque), as measured by a calibrated torque wrench, instead of
using the turn-of-nut method. Screen material over gaps is also required for covering the base plate gap as
specified in 649-6.

715 Highway Lighting System

715-10  Erecting Light Poles: Anchor bolting procedures for highway lighting system pole bases are as
specified in 649-5 and screen material over gaps is required as specified in 649-6.

932 Nonmetallic Accessory Materials

932-2.2  Bridge Structures – Elastomeric Bearing Pads: The 2010 Standard Specification, Sub-article 932-
2.2, requires elastomeric bearing pads to be furnished in accordance with AASHTO LRFD Bridge Construction
Specification, Section 18.2. LRFD Section 18.2 then refers the reader to AASHTO Standard Specification M 251,
for detailed testing requirements. The M 251 source document dated 2004, was revised in an interim

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specification designated M 251-06 which is the document that Contractors must use in order to be in full
compliance with the current 932-2.2 specification.

The requirements of M 251-06 are more rigorous than the provisions they replaced. Therefore, after a review,
and partly based on information in NCHRP report 596 critical of M 251-06, the Department has modified M 251-06
for FDOT use so that the testing requirements for this product are more comparable to past practice. In addition,
Specification 932-2.2.3 has been revised, changing the applied testing load from 1,600 pounds to 2,400 psi for
laminated pads or 1,750 psi for plain pads.

All projects currently underway and all projects let in the future, until an officially revised specification is
implemented by the State Specifications Office, shall use the revised specifications contained in DCE
memorandums 20-09 and 01-10. In addition, the provisions for implementing the revisions for ongoing projects,
as set forth in the DEC memos, must also be followed.

Miscellaneous Specification Related Issues

A.  Preventing Excessively Thick Beam Buildups: The
accompanying drawing shows the cross section of a concrete
prestressed beam supporting a concrete deck. Notice that the yellow
colored layer of concrete between the top of the beam and the
bottom of the deck slab, referred to as the beam buildup, is too thick.
This is because the red colored stirrup rebars at the top of the beam,
do not extend into the deck slab but instead terminate in the Buildup.
Buildups are needed because prestressed beams come from the
production plant in the shape of a very shallow arch which is also
called a cambered shape as can be seen in the accompanying
drawing. The vertical distance from a string line pulled tight between
the top of beam ends to the top of the beam at mid span is called the
camber and depending on the beam length it can vary from zero to
five inches for typical situations.

Most of the time the profile grade of the deck is relatively flat compared to the degree of camber; therefore, at the
beam mid span, the top of the beam touches or almost touches the bottom of the deck slab but at the beam ends
it does not as can be seen in the accompanying drawing. There are stirrups along the entire length of the beam,
and under ideal
conditions all
stirrups will extend
into the slab to at
least the bottom
mat of deck rebars;
however, many
times the stirrups
at the ends of the
beam do not
extend to the
bottom mat but are still in the slab. Stirrups should always fully engage the deck which is very important
structurally because the designer expects the beam and the slab to resist stresses together as a single unit which
is referred to as composite action. The stirrups ensure that the composite action takes place and the beam will
not be as strong if composite action is not fully developed.

Stirrup engagement is also important because it keeps the beam and deck connected in case of lateral impact. If
the stirrups do not extend into the slab but remain in the buildup then the beam can fall away from the deck if a
high lateral impact is applied by a truck. The accompanying photograph shows what can happen if a beam does
not have adequate attachment to the deck. With adequate attachment, the beam usually suffers only localized
damage in the immediate vicinity of the impact but does not disconnect from the slab in large segments.

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 Preventing Excessively Thick Buildups: The Designer
estimates the camber value and includes it in the plans so
that the Contractor can set grades for the beam pedestals
relative to the deck elevations. The designer’s camber
estimate is based on a beam age of 120 days. Age is a factor
in the estimate because the camber increases with time or
“grows” and generally stops or is negligible after one year.
However, many factors that continually change such as air
temperature and humidity influence the rate of camber growth
which makes it difficult to accurately predict. Beams rarely
are erected at exactly 120 days and even if they are, the
variability of camber growth reduces the likelihood that it will
agree exactly with the value in the plans. From time to time
because of the variability, beams are placed that have much
less camber than the Contractor anticipated based on camber
values in the plans. However, by this time, beam pedestals have almost always been constructed and so the
beams are placed on pedestals that are too low for the actual amount of camber in the beams so excessively
thick buildups result.

Specification 450-16.2 requires camber to be measured once per month while beams are in storage at the
prestressed plant and a record of the measurements must be kept on file for review of the Engineer and/or
Contractor. If the Contractor reviews these measurements periodically, prior to pedestal construction then the
pedestal elevations can be adjusted to take into account the actual camber instead of the estimated camber
shown in the plans. This will dramatically reduce the possibility of excessively thick buildups and at the pre-
operations meeting, prior to construction of the first beam pedestals, the CEI staff should remind the Contractor
that camber measurements are on file at the prestressed plant.

When Excessively Thick Buildups are Unavoidable: A Contractor worker or a CEI inspector must monitor
stirrup extension during deck forming and rebar placement by observing the distance between the top of beam
and top of the deck form, which is the planned slab bottom. If
this distance is not at least 1.5 inches less than the vertical
length of the stirrup then the buildup is too thick and some
corrective action is required prior to concrete placement. If the
buildup is too thick by a small amount then with the EOR’s
approval, the horizontal legs of the stirrups can be bent up at a
45 degree angle if the resulting additional extension into the
deck will be adequate as determined by the EOR. When the
buildup is too thick to be corrected by bending the stirrup legs
then additional reinforcing bars that will extend the stirrups, as
shown in the accompanying drawing, will be required and
must be approved by the EOR. The stirrup extensions (at least 2 sizes can be fabricated) are tied to the existing
stirrup tops which results in a correctly positioned stirrup extension in relation to the bottom mat of deck rebars.

B.  Excessive Camber: When the actual camber is much larger than the camber shown in the plans, the
beam will have to be inserted into the deck which results in a deck thickness above the beam that is less then
shown in the plans
as can be seen in
the accompanying
drawing. This
practice is usually
acceptable if
approved by the
EOR but is never
permitted if the
beam is required to
be inserted more
than 1”. The reason for the 1” limit is because a space between the bottom mat of rebars and the top of the beam

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that is less than 1” will not allow large aggregates in the concrete to enter the space resulting in deficient
concrete. If the 1” limit is exceeded then the deck grade must be raised, as approved by the EOR, in order to
provide acceptable clearance.

C.  Inspection of Prefabricated Products: It is the responsibility of the CEI inspector to carefully examine
prefabricated products for defects when they arrive at the project site from the plant at which they were produced.
This is particularly important for prestressed concrete products (beams, slabs, piles, etc.) since the Department
no longer does a comprehensive inspection of these products nor do these products receive a Department
approval stamp prior to shipping. This means that the CEI inspector is the only Department representative that
has the opportunity to perform a thorough inspection of these products before they are incorporated into the
project. Inspection at the site for steel products is also critical; however, the Department employs a materials
testing firm at the steel fabrication plant and their inspectors perform a thorough inspection prior shipping of the
product from the plant. Regardless of the level of inspection in the plant, these products can be damaged while
they are being transported from the plant to the site which makes thorough inspection of all these products critical
when they arrive at the project site.

D.  Deck Concrete Placement Direction: Concrete for constructing a bridge deck that is continuous over
multiple spans is routinely placed in stages and this requires plastic concrete for the latest stage to be in direct
contact with the hardened face of a previously completed stage. This is referred to as a cold joint. When this
situation exists, placement of the plastic concrete should start at the end of the span opposite the cold joint, thus
the last of the concrete will be placed at the cold joint face. If this procedure is not followed then transverse
cracks are likely to form in the newly placed concrete within a short distance of the cold joint.

The reason for this is that when the deck concrete is added to the beam it causes the beam to deflect which in
turn causes the beam end top to rotate away from the adjacent span along with the newly placed deck concrete if
it is placed at the start. For long beam spans, the concrete initially placed often approaches or has its initial set by
the time the last concrete is placed. Since the concrete is no longer plastic or fluid, the beam rotation puts tension
stresses into the initially set concrete that exceed its capacity which causes cracks. When the last of the concrete
is placed at the cold joint, all the beam rotation has taken place while the deck concrete is still fluid so tension
stresses cannot develop in the deck concrete at the cold joint: thus preventing cracks.

E.  Fascia Beam Rotation Issues: The section of a concrete bridge deck that cantilevers or overhangs
beyond exterior or fascia beams is constructed by using horizontal form panels that are supported by brackets,
referred to as overhang brackets: see the accompanying photo of overhang brackets attached to a Florida U-
Beam. The horizontal element of the bracket is stabilized by a strut that bears on the beam web or bottom flange.
The force transmitted into the bottom section of the beam by the strut produces torsional forces in the beam that
may result in excessive rotation of the beam about its longitudinal axis if not counteracted. If the beam itself is not
stiff enough to counteract the rotational forces then a
temporary bracing system must be used. If the beam
rotation is not well controlled then a number of serious deck
slab and/or beam defects can occur that will have to be
corrected: often at significant expense.

The SPE/PA shall discuss the fascia beam rotation concern

with the Contractor well in advance of the Contractor’s
planning for the selection of a deck forming system so that
the Contractor will be aware of its importance, if not already.
Except when the EOR details a fascia beam bracing system
in the plans, which is very rare, it is the Contractor’s
responsibility to provide an effective fascia beam bracing
system. This is a routine task for Contractors on most
projects; however, when deck overhangs are unusually
wide, which can develop much higher than normal torsional
forces in fascia beams, the Contractor may need to hire a
specialty engineer to design a special fascia beam bracing
system that will effectively counteract the higher torsional
forces. This concern is particularly important for Florida U-

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Beam superstructures because they have no end diaphragms that restrain the fascia beams from rotating, so the
beam ends must be restrained by blocking the bottom slab at the bearings and/or by bracing the top flanges in a
manner that will minimize rotation (see accompanying blocking detail and note). Long span steel girders can also
be more susceptible to the high rotational forces generated by wide overhangs since their inherent flexibility
means reduced torsional strength so proper fascia beam bracing is critical.

Standard Index 20210, U-Beam Notes (Note 12) and Blocking Detail:

Note 12: Prior to deck placement, based on the deck forming system and deck placement sequence, evaluate
and provide, if necessary, temporary bracing between the U Beams. Also, prior to deck placement, provide
temporary blocking under each web at both ends of every beam. Ensure the temporary blocking is adequate to
resist movements and rotations that occur during placement of the deck. Leave temporary blocking and bracing
in place for a minimum of four days after the deck placement.

F.  Required Contractor Submittals or Actions Required for Bridge Temporary Works: In recent years
the Department has increased the number and type of temporary works submittals and actions required of
Contractors and this has caused some misunderstandings and oversights by both Contractors and CEI personnel
related to what is required. The table below is intended to provide a user friendly format for determining the
temporary works submittals needed for a given circumstance; however, it is not intended to be a substitute for the
applicable specification which must be complied with fully. Each Submittal or Action includes the number of the
specification to which it applies.

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V. DESIGN STANDARDS

Index Number : 20005, Prestressed Beam Temporary Bracing

Starting in July of 2011, and possibly before for selected projects, bridge plans will include Standard Index No.
20005, prestressed Beam Temporary Bracing (see copy of the 1 sheet index below), which will show generic
standard bracing requirements and details for prestressed concrete beam superstructures for use prior to
diaphragm and deck completion. There will also be another new sheet in the plans which will be project specific
and entitled “Prestressed Beam Temporary Bracing Data Tables (BDT)”, which will include the following tables
(see the sample sheet with instructions below): Wind Load Variables, Assumed Construction Loads, and
Temporary Bracing Variables. The data in the BDT sheet is provided by the EOR to aid the Contactor’s Specialty
Engineer in designing the project specific bracing system required by revised Specification 5-1.4.5.6, Beam and
Girder Temporary Bracing.

Use of the BDT data is optional but if the Contractor chooses to use the BDT sheet data and if construction
affecting public safety is involved then the Contractor must submit to the Engineer signed and sealed bracing
system calculations by a Specialty Engineer in addition to a certification statement that construction loads do not
exceed the assumed loads shown in the plans and BDT sheet. If the Contractor chooses not to use the BDT
sheet data or if the plans do not include a BDT sheet then for construction affecting public safety, the Contractor
must submit to the Engineer a Specialty Engineer’s signed and sealed calculations for stability for all beams and
girders and the design calculations for bracing members and connections.

Index 20005, explains that the anchor beam is a beam which has anchor bracing at its support locations. It is to
be set first, and its location may vary. All subsequent beams are to be braced against the Anchor Beam
sequentially. The Anchor brace may be located at an exterior girder provided that all required bolt clear distances
are met and overhang bracing is not impacted. Anchor bracing may be inclined, as shown in the plan view, or
may be installed vertically. The temporary bracing at the ends of the beams shall be installed prior to crane
release if indicated in the “TABLE OF TEMPORARY BRACING VARIABLES”. Beams shall not be left un-braced
during non-work hours. Bracing at the ends of the beams shall remain in place until the diaphragm concrete
reaches 2,500 psi. The temporary intermediate bracing, if required, shall remain in place until bridge deck
concrete reaches 2,500 psi

The SPE/PA shall discuss these requirements with the Contractor well in advance of the first beam erection
operation of the project and the SPE/PA shall monitor the Contractor’s compliance with the approved bracing
system and shall confirm that the order and sequence of assembly specified in the Standard Index 20005 is
followed as well as construction related notes in the BDT sheet.

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Index Numbers : 20010 – 20078, Florida I Beam

This new group of standards introduces the Florida I Beam (FIB) which is an improvement over the previously
used Bulb-T and AASHTO beam. The standards include beam depths of 36”, 45”, 54”, 63”, 72” and 78”. The
accompanying beam cross sections show the difference between the FIB and the Bulb-T for the 72” depth.
Advantages of the FIB versus the Bulb-T or AASHTO are as follows: (1) higher load carrying capacity than
comparable AASHTO or Bulb-T beams of the same span length which can reduce the number of beam lines,
resulting in a less expensive superstructure; (2) improved stability during handling, storage and erection due to a
significantly wider bottom flange; (3) increased lateral stiffness because of thicker top and bottom flanges.

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 State of Florida Department of Transportation
Office of Construction

CERTIFICATION OF COURSE COMPLETION

Critical Structures Construction Issues – Self Study Course

NOTE: The original of this certification must be transmitted to the District Construction Training Administrator
within 7 days of execution and a copy must be retained by the student. A false statement made in connection
with this certification is sufficient cause for disciplinary action by the Department.

I, (print student’s name here) _______________________________________, certify that I

have, to the best of my ability, read and understand the information presented in the above
named course which I completed on (enter date of course completion here)
_________________. I also acknowledge that I must complete the above named course
again within 3 years of the date of completion on this certification.

Signature and e-mail address

of the above named student
and date signed: ______________________________, ____________

Signature Date

___________________________________________

E-mail address

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