ABSTRACT
Bridge construction inspection provides quality assurance for building bridges and plays a very important role in the bridge industry. Bridge construction involves two types of structures: permanent and temporary structures. This chapter discusses inspection principles, followed by the guidelines for inspecting materials, construction operations, component construction, and temporary structures. It also touches on safety considerations and documentation. Bridge inspectors spend a major part of their time making sure that the structure is being built at the correct locations and elevations as shown on the project plans. Conventional bridge foundations can be classified in three types: spread footing foundation, pile foundation, special-case foundations such as pile shafts, tiebacks, soil nails, and tie-downs. Fracture-critical members (FCM) are tension members or tension components of bending members, the failure of which may result in collapse of the bridge. The bridge top deck is probably the most critical part in terms of smooth vehicle ridability and aesthetically pleasing bridge.
