Design and review/check go hand in hand and are carried out partly staggered by two independent consultants. The work processes including typical activities and deliverables are illustrated in the following chevron diagrams (hover mouse to zoom).

Design

Advice Bridges can offer the full design package in the early phases. In the following phases, the services are either selected design packages, carried out together with collaboration partners, or provided as external assistance to main designers depending on bridge type and size.

Review

There are different types of review depending on the project phase. Peer review is the most general review normally done in the early phases. It is based on experience and simple hand calculations. Second opinion is a more specific review of selected parts and is useful in all project phases. Value engineering is a review focused on optimization of quantities and construction time. Independent design check (IDC) involves full FE-modelling and verification of selected critical elements. The deliverables for IDC are comment sheets used to close out comments with the designer, a summary report documenting the calculations and a check certificate.

The review services are extremely important in the early project phases where concepts are defined, to get off to a good start. A fresh pair of eyes from a very experienced senior bridge engineer adds value and reduces risks later in the project. This is a small cost in a bridge project and certainly an investment well worth.

Load rating and retrofit design

Load rating of existing bridges is carried out to verify bridges to current standards including possible higher traffic loads. Potential deterioration of bridge elements is taken into account. If the outcome is that a bridge does not meet current requirements, load restrictions and/or retrofit design shall be initiated.

External consultant

Advice Bridges offers services as external consultant. The external consultant assists the customer with various tasks under the management of the customer. Tasks can be assistance with design, quality assurance, bid/tender documents, evaluations, review, check, approvals etc., or expert advice.

Design codes and tools

Advice Bridges has extensive experience with Eurocodes and AASHTO, and is familiar with British Standard BS5400 (obsolete), Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CSA S6), Indian Standards (IRC), Chinese Standards (JTG), Norwegian Handbook (N400), CEB-FIP Model Code, CEB-FIB Acceptance of stay cable systems using prestressing steels (bulletin 30), PTI Recommendations for Stay Cable Design, Testing and Installation (DC45.1) and AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering.

The design tools depend on the project phase and scope of work. In the early phases, design is to a large extent based on hand calculations and sketches, in-house developed spreadsheets, simple beam analysis programs and “design by experience”. For basic and detailed design, tools are selected based on the specific tasks.

Design by experience

Design by experience is a fast method for early investigations and reviews. Design by experience comprises:

• Apply rules of thumb
• Compare bridge with similar constructed reference bridges
• Prepare cost estimates based on unit prices per bridge deck area (EUR/m²)
• Learn from others, there is an abundance of valuable information on the internet!

Sustainability

Sustainability is about environmental and social responsibility. Traditionally, the bridge engineer has selected the proper solution and optimized quantities through calculations to achieve the overall lowest cost considering materials and construction. This is to a large extent also the most sustainable solution with regards to resources, in special for large bridges, where more detailed and comprehensive calculations are carried out. But more can and should be done. Sustainable bridges require:

• Alignment studies with due consideration to impact on the environment and the local community
• Concepts with structurally efficient cross sections (e.g. hollow sections or ribbed slabs)
• Optimized structures for minimum use of materials with high CO2 emissions and energy consumption
• Specification of recycled or CO2 optimized materials
• Focus on logistics and local production to minimize transport during construction

Actions to make bridges sustainable are closely linked and different combinations must therefore be investigated to achieve the overall most sustainable bridge.

Customers and jobs

Current and prospect customers are all with a need for bridge advice like governments (ministry of transportation), bridge owners, contractors, bridge architects, consultants, insurance companies, concessionaries, lenders, development banks etc.

Advice Bridges is a small specialist company where resources limit the size of jobs the company can take on – Advice Bridges is quality over quantity!