Category:751 LRFD Bridge Design Guidelines

Bridge Design Guidelines assist MoDOT’s internal staff and outside consultants in performing design work for the department. It is intended to disseminate information regarding practices and policies to be applied to the design of Missouri structures on the state maintained system.

It is the users responsibility to verify the design information presented is applicable to their particular project or situation.

These guidelines are not intended to limit the designer or consultant from applying innovations which will lead to a more cost effective and technically sound solution as appropriate for the situation at hand. The evaluation of alternate solutions include such innovations is both expected and encouraged. However, any variations to EPG 751 or Standard Plan Sheets should be discussed in advance with the appropriate Structural Liaison Engineer or Structural Project Manager.

It should be noted that the Federal Highway Administration has mandated for state owned structures:

• All new bridges on which states initiate preliminary engineering after October 1, 2007, shall be designed by the LRFD Specifications.
• All new culverts, retaining walls, and other standard structures on which states initiate preliminary engineering after October 1, 2010, shall be designed by LRFD (Load and Resistance Factor Design) Specifications, with the assumption that the specifications and software for these structures are "mature" at this time.
• For modifications to existing structures, states would have the option of using LRFD Specifications or the specifications which were used for the original design.

The following notation is used throughout these guidelines:

“LRFD XXX” refers to AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications.

“Sec” refers to Missouri Standard Specifications for Highway Construction.