Civil Engineering Association

This document can be permitted to be used as an alternative to the development of a National Concrete Bridge Design and Construction Code, or equivalent document in countries where no national design codes are available by themselves, or as an alternative to the National Concrete Bridge Design and Construction Code in countries where specifically considered and accepted by the national standard body or other appropriate regulatory organization, and applies to the planning, design and construction of structural concrete bridges to be used in new bridges of restricted span length, height of piers, and type.
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a registered Civil Engineer with sufficient information to perform the design of the structural concrete bridge that complies with the limitations established in 6.1. The rules of design as set forth in the present document are simplifications of more elaborate requirements.
Although the guidelines contained in this document were drawn to produce, when properly employed, a structural concrete structure with an appropriate margin of safety, these guidelines are not a replacement of sound and experienced engineering. In order for the resulting structure designed employing these guidelines to attain the intended margin of safety. The document must be used as a whole and alternative procedures should be employed only when explicitly permitted by the guidelines. The minimum dimensioning guides as prescribed in the document replace, in most cases, more elaborate procedures as those prescribed in the National Code, and the eventual economic impact is compensated by the simplicity of the procedures prescribed here.
The professional performing the structural design under these guidelines should meet the legal requirements for structural designers in the country of adoption and have training and a minimum appropriate knowledge of structural mechanics, statics, strength of materials, structural analysis, and reinforced concrete design and construction.
Designs and details for new bridges should address structural integrity by considering the following:
The use of continuity and redundancy to provide one or more alternate paths.
Structural members and bearing seat widths that are resistant to damage or instability.
External protection systems to minimize the effects of reasonably conceived severe loads