Construction Handbook for Bridge Temporary Works. 1995.

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Home / Programs / Bridges & Structures / Structures / Bridge Temporary Works

Technical Advisory
Bridge Temporary Works
October 29, 1993

Technical Advisory 5140.24

PURPOSE

To provide State highway and transportation agencies with guide standards and design specifications, a
construction handbook and a certification program to assist owner agency and industry performance in
achieving the safe construction of bridge temporary works. These documents may by used in conjunction
with Section 3, Temporary Works, of Division II of the latest edition of the AASHTO Standard
Specifications for Highway Bridges.

BACKGROUND

1. The falsework collapse of the Maryland Route 198 bridge over the Baltimore/Washington
Parkway on Auqust 31, 1989, prompted the Congress to direct the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Transportation to develop specifications and guidelines for use in constructing
bridge temporary works. Heretofore, there were national standard code or specification available
on bridge temporary works. The only available national standard which addressed this type of
construction (ANSI A10.9-1983) was applicable primarily for building construction.
2. The development of these documents for bridge temporary works began with a synthesis of
information to pull together, in one document, all of the existing standards, practices, procedures
and any other literature available on the subject in the United States and foreign countries. This
November 1991 synthesis report has been distributed to all FHWA regional and division offices
and to the State highway agencies (SHA's). Copies of this report (Synthesis of Shoring,
Formwork and Scaffolding for Highway Bridge Structures, Publication No. FHWA-RD-91-062) are
available from the Federal Highway Administration, Research and Development Publications and
Report Center, Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean,
Virginia 22101.
3. Subsequent priorities were to develop the following documents which are the subject of this
Technical Advisory:
a. Guide Standard Specification for Bridge Temporary Works - A guide standard
specification that establishes contractual requirements at the bid preparation stage that
will apply to all bridge construction projects.
b. Guide Design Specification for Bridge Temporary Works - A guide design specification
that will enable users to update their existing standard specifications for bridge temporary
works.
c. Construction Handbook for Bridge Temporary Works - A handbook for use by field
Engineers who are in charge of bridge construction projects.
d. Certification Program for Bridge Temporary Works - A program developed by the industry
as a certification program for manufactured proprietary falsework systems supplied to
bridge construction projects.

DISCUSSION
 1. General. Past practice, and at times current practice, has been to give the design and
construction of temporary falsework structures significantly less emphasis in comparison to the
more refined and detailed design used for the permanent structure. Despite the temporary nature
of these structures, the safety of project personnel and the general public during the period when
temporary works are used requires diligence equal to that exercised in designing and
constructing the permanent structure. Assignment of responsibility for design and construction
details of temporary falsework structures is given to contractors, subcontractors and suppliers.
Without clear and comprehensive standards, the assumption of this responsibility and the quality
of owner agency oversight is often inconsistent. The documents covered by this Technical
Advisory are offered to owner agencies as guidelines and assistance to help improve not only the
design of temporary works structures but also to improve the administration and contractual
aspects of the construction project. The States are encouraged to review these advisory
documents and, as appropriate, incorporate the items in their standard specifications, project
special provisions or standard practices.
2. Function.
a. The four documents transmitted by this Technical Advisory are intended to be used as
integrated, co-supportive guidelines and instruction. This is reflected in numerous cross-
references to each other in the text of the documents. Because of the guideline nature of
the guide specifications cited in items (1) and (2) of paragraph 2.c, of this advisory, it is
the obligation of the owner agencies to place the requirements of the contractor and the
owner, and the execution of the contract responsibilities into binding contract language in
their standard specifications and/or the project special provisions. It is not intended that
those documents be merely referenced as part of the contract provisions.
b. The handbook is intended for instructional and informational assistance in the
implementation of the standard specifications and/or project special provisions during the
construction of project temporary works. The, handbook is, in general, for the use of field
personnel in performing field inspection functions, but it is not intended as a basis for
specification material itself.
c. The proposed certification program is an attempt to provide the owner and contractor
project personnel with the necessary means of easily and positively identifying
manufactured equipment furnished to the project with that shown on the approved shop
drawings. As with this or any other certification program, it will still take the cooperation
and diligence of all parties involved to see that it functions as intended.

DISTRIBUTION

Copies are being provide to the regional offices with the division offices being provided sufficient copies
for their use and distribution to the SHA's.

Thomas 0. Willett, Director

Office of Engineering

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Prepared by the Design Loads on Structures during Construction Standards Committee of the Codes and
Standards Activities Division of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE

Design loads during construction must account for the often short duration of loading and for the
variability of temporary loads. Many elements of the completed structure that provide strength,
stiffness, stability, or continuity may not be present during construction. Design Loads on Structures
during Construction, ASCE/SEI 37-14, describes the minimum design requirements for construction
loads, load combinations, and load factors affecting buildings and other structures that are under
construction. It addresses partially completed structures as well as temporary support and access
structures used during construction. The loads specified are suitable for use either with strength design
criteria, such as ultimate strength design (USD) and load and resistance factor design (LRFD), or with
allowable stress design (ASD) criteria. The loads are applicable to all conventional construction methods.

Topics include: load factors and load combinations; dead and live loads; construction loads; lateral earth
pressure; and environmental loads. Of particular note, the environmental load provisions have been
aligned with those of Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-10. Because
ASCE/SEI 7-10 does not address loads during construction, the environmental loads in this standard
were adjusted for the duration of the construction period.

This new edition of Standard 37 prescribes loads based on probabilistic analysis, observation of
construction practices, and expert opinions. Embracing comments, recommendations, and experiences
that have evolved since the original 2002 edition, this standard serves structural engineers, construction
engineers, design professionals, code officials, and building owners.