April 16, 2014

ERRATA 

LTBP Bridge Performance Primer TechBrief 

FHWA Publication No.: FHWA-HRT-14-031 

Dear Customer: 

An editorial correction was made to this TechBrief after the TechBrief was originally published. 

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Task 1080 - FHWA-HRT-14-031 - TechBrief - FHWA LTBP Industry Day 

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Objective

This TechBrief summarizes Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) 

Industry Day, held July 16, 2012, a public meeting sponsored by the 

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) LTBP Program.

Introduction

The FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research and Development initiated

the LTBP Program in 2008. The LTBP Program is at least a 20-year 

research effort to collect scientific, performance, and field data from a 

representative sample of bridges nationwide. This research will help 

the bridge community better understand bridge deterioration and performance. This program will produce a collection of data-driven tools, 

including predictive models to optimize management of bridges. Input 

from state highway agencies and other stakeholders identified a variety 

of bridge performance issues to be evaluated.

A pilot phase has been completed to validate data collection protocols 

and a long-term data collection phase on bridges throughout the 

United States. The LTBP Program will use proven technologies to efficiently obtain the high-quality data needed.

The LTBP Program seeks opportunities to engage and collaborate 

with industry to learn of existing and innovative tools and technologies, 

services, or expertise. In November 2011, FHWA issued a Request for 

Information (RFI) to gain input from non-governmental organizations 

(e.g., private companies, professional organizations, academia, etc.) 

who share an interest in improving the health and operational capacity 

of the Nation’s bridges. Responders to the RFI submitted white papers 

outlining their suggestions for collaboration opportunities. 

Subsequently, an Industry Day public meeting was held on July 16, 2012, 

in Alexandria, VA, to provide an open forum for FHWA and interested representatives from industry to discuss and share ideas. Nearly 60 people 

attended the event, including attendees from professional organizations, 

engineering consulting companies, and technology developers and

vendors, as well as FHWA and State transportation departments. 

The following sections highlight the collaboration opportunities 

discussed.

About LTBP

This research was conducted 

as part of the Federal Highway 

Administration’s Long-Term 

Bridge Performance (LTBP) 

Program. The LTBP Program is 

a minimum 20-year research 

effort to collect scientific performance field data, from 

a representative sample of 

bridges nationwide, that will 

help the bridge community 

better understand bridge 

deterioration and performance. 

The products from this program will be a collection of 

data-driven tools including 

predictive and forecasting 

models that will enhance the 

abilities of bridge owners to 

optimize their management 

of bridges.

FHWA LTBP Industry Day

TECHBRIEF

FHWA Publication No.: FHWA-HRT-14-031

FHWA Contact: Susan Lane, HRDI-60, 202-493-3151, susan.lane@dot.gov.

Research, Development, and Technology | Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center | 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2296

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/
2

Poster Session

A poster session was held where FHWA invited all 

industry responding to the RFI to display information 

about their products and services in a poster and/or 

a one-page handout and to discuss how they may be 

applicable to the LTBP Program. The posters represented 

a cross-section of the Industry Day attendees.

Firms exhibiting a poster and/or providing attendees 

with handouts included the following:

• American Galvanizers Association (AGA)—Hot-Dip 

Galvanized Steel, Protecting Our Infrastructure for 

Generations.

• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)—

Collaborative Efforts that Support the Goals of 

the FHWA Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) 

Program.

• American Society for Non-Destructive Testing 

(ASNT)—Overview of the Organization and 

Potential for Collaboration with LTBP. 

• Cleveland Electric Laboratories’ (CEL) Advanced 

Technologies Group—Long Term Structural Health 

Monitoring Using Fiber Optics.

• Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) on 

behalf of the National Concrete Bridge Council 

(NCBC)—National Concrete Bridge Council 

Briefing.

• Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) and Rutgers 

University—Evaluation of Deck Rehabilitation 

Strategies Using Full-Depth Precast Deck Panels 

and Traditional Cast-in-Place Reinforced Concrete 

Decks.

• Intelligent Automation, Inc.—A Wireless Bridge 

Structural Health Monitoring System.

• Intelligent Automation, Inc.—Bridge Data 

Management, Summarization, and Knowledge 

Discovery for Long Term Bridge Performance.

• Intelligent Engineering/SPS North America—

Evolutionary Bridge Decking Product. 

• Miceli Infrastructure Consulting, LLC—Effective 

Technology Transfer to the Bridge Industry.

• URS Corporation; NEXCO-West USA, Inc.; 

Optech Inc.; and InspectTech—Improving Bridge 

Inspection and Management Systems Through 

Innovative Imaging Technologies.

Professional Organization 

Presentations

Five professional organizations gave an overview of 

their expertise and proposed areas for collaboration to 

assist the LTBP Program.

NCBC/CRSI Presentation

NCBC represents a range of industry associations 

(including CRSI), providing shared expertise in materials,

design, construction, and technology. CRSI proposed 

to use this expertise to support the LTBP Program by 

offering detailed program review, document review, 

or other technical input by its staff as requested. CRSI 

also noted that four ongoing CRSI corrosion research 

studies may provide potential areas of overlap with 

LTBP study topics where knowledge and data sharing 

may be mutually beneficial.

NCBC described how bridge construction, design, and 

materials have changed over time, and indicated these 

changes may affect bridge performance. Specifically, 

NCBC noted cements, reinforcement, and concrete 

additives have undergone much change since 1990. 

Additionally, NCBC described how the load and resistance factor design bridge design specifications, 

empirical deck design, jointless bridges, and increased 

span lengths have also changed and could affect bridge 

performance. NCBC also noted that accelerated bridge 

construction is a new process in bridge construction 

and may affect bridge performance.

NCBC also discussed different types of bridge deterioration. These included non-corrosion-related cracking 

and abrasion due to loads and weather and corrosionrelated cracking due to deicing salts.

NCBC/CSRI also identified four short-term and six longterm study topics that it suggested could be considered 

within the LTBP Program. 

Short-term study topics included the following:

• Are better construction techniques being employed 

to ensure better concrete placement and curing?

• What do different States provide in terms of typical 

annual maintenance of a bridge? Is it documented?

• What are the various States’ policies/practices on 

deicing salt application?

• What are the effects of abutments on bridge 

performance? Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) 

walls? Integral abutments?

Long-term study topics included the following:

• How do bridges age?

• What is the role of deck cracking in 

performance?

• What is the role of concrete permeability?

• What are typical repair schedules, and how do 

these affect cost and performance?

• Do the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials (AASHTO) designs affect 

performance, such as requirements for shrinkage 

and temperature steel?

• What are appropriate reinforcing steels, and what 

are their design lives/corrosion propagation?

• Are dynamic response characteristics of structures 
3

being captured with the other data? Is there a 

measurable change in stiffness over time?

• Are the planning models appropriate for bridge 

design? Is functional obsolescence more likely 

than structural deficiency for a 100-year service 

life?

National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) 

Presentation

NSBA described their expertise that could support 

the LTBP Program’s research. Specifically, NSBA first 

described the successful collaboration between FHWA 

and the steel industry in the development and implementation of high-performance steel. NSBA then 

recommended five topics/technologies that could be 

incorporated into the LTBP Program and where NSBA 

could collaborate as follows: 

• Use LTBP bridges to benchmark new proposed 

criteria to control load-induced deck deterioration.

• Create a database of zinc-coated bridges that 

could also track first cost and maintenance cost 

information. 

• Create a protocol for conducting site evaluations 

for the suitability of using weathering steel on a 

bridge. NSBA proposed using X-ray fluorescence 

in this protocol because NSBA has expertise with 

this tool.

• Assess expanded bushings to enhance crack 

arrest holes for fatigue cracks in older structures. 

This technology has been used in the aerospace 

industry, but is new to the bridge industry.

• Support development of performance-based 

specifications for laser measurement systems to 

improve the shop fabrication process for steel 

girders, allowing for virtual assembly and a bridge 

“birth certificate.”

ASCE Presentation

ASCE’s presentation described the state of the Nation’s 

infrastructure and their estimates of the costs to businesses, users, and the Nation if nothing is done to 

improve the infrastructure. ASCE has eight institutes 

dedicated to the diverse technical specialties within the 

civil engineering profession. The Structural Engineering 

Institute (SEI) is directly related to the needs of the LTBP 

Program, and their mission statements are complementary. ASCE/SEI identified the following ways it could 

use its resources to support the LTBP Program:

• ASCE/SEI could host LTBP meetings and conferences at its headquarters in Reston, VA.

• ASCE/SEI journals, conferences, and publications 

could be used to disseminate LTBP Program 

findings and information.

• ASCE/SEI could share its knowledge and expertise, 

especially through its bridge-focused technical 

committees.

• The LTBP Program could utilize SEI committees to 

assist in developing standards and guidelines for 

data collection protocols.

Advanced Condition Assessment Technologies 

(ACAT) Group Presentation

The ACAT group represents a host of private companies 

that provide various technologies and services for 

bridge monitoring and evaluation. Based on this expertise, the ACAT group made several recommendations 

for collaborating with the LTBP Program. These ideas 

included:

• Deploying nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and 

structural health monitoring tools in the LTBP 

Program to meet program objectives. 

• Working with State highway agencies throughout 

the duration of the LTBP Program to target typical 

issues and bridges of concern.

• Striving to address both shorter-term concerns 

and problems of stakeholders and longer-term 

objectives of the program.

• Integrating ACAT.

ASNT Presentation

ASNT is a professional organization for users and practitioners of NDE. ASNT described their specific expertise 

and their ideas for how their expertise can support the 

LTBP Program’s data collection needs. ASNT suggested 

several areas of collaboration as follows:

• Provide expertise on developing an NDE testing 

program for the LTBP based on best practices and 

designed to result in meaningful, consistent, and 

repeatable data.

• Disseminate LTBP Program findings and 

information through ASNT conferences and 

publications

• Assist in developing NDE personnel qualification 

requirements, training materials, and certification 

materials.

Follow-Up

Following Industry Day, the FHWA attendees and a 

State transportation department stakeholder met and 

discussed material presented. The consensus was that 

the items presented by the industry groups offered 

much potential for help to the LTBP Program, specifically 

NSBA, NCBC, the ACAT group, and ASNT. 

The questions and issues raised by the industry groups 

largely confirmed the scope of the 20 performance issues 

the LTBP Program identified through meetings with 

State transportation departments and its own research. 

The input from the industry groups provided valuable 

insight. 

As an immediate follow-up to Industry Day, FHWA 

requested that NCBC prioritize the questions presented 

at Industry Day. NCBC provided the following ranking 
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Researchers—The FHWA LTBP Industry Day was conducted by FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research and 

Development and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. For additional information, contact Susan Lane in the 

Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, located at 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2296.

Distribution—This TechBrief is being distributed according to a standard distribution. Direct distribution is being 

made to the Divisions and Resource Center.

Availability—The TechBrief may be obtained from the FHWA Product Distribution Center by e-mail to report.

center@fhwa.dot.gov, fax to (814) 239-2156, phone to (814) 239-1160, or online at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research. 

Key Words—LTBP Program, bridge performance, performance, long-term bridge performance, Industry Day, 

industry LTBP collaboration.

Notice—This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the 

interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained 

in this document. The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ 

names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement—The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information 

to serve the Government, industry, and public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and 

policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

of the short-term questions separately and then the 

long-term questions separately:

Short-term questions include the following:

1. Are better construction techniques being employed 

to ensure better concrete placement and curing? 

(Tie for first.)

1. What are the effects of abutments? MSE walls? 

Integral abutments? (Tie for first.)

3. What do different States provide in terms of typical 

annual maintenance of a bridge? Is it documented? 

(Tie for third.)

3. What are the various States’ policies/practices on 

deicing salt application? (Tie for third.)

Long-term questions include the following:

1. What is the role of deck cracking in performance?

2. What is the role of concrete permeability? (Tie for 

second.)

2. Do the AASHTO designs affect performance, such as 

requirements for shrinkage and temperature steel? 

(Tie for second.)

4. Are dynamic response characteristics of structures being captured with the other data? Is there 

a measurable change in stiffness over time? (Tie for 

fourth.)

4. What are typical repair schedules, and how do these 

affect cost and performance? (Tie for fourth.)

6. Are the planning models appropriate for bridge 

design? Is functional obsolescence more likely than 

structural deficiency for a 100-year service life?

Since Industry Day, FHWA has met with and discussed possible collaboration with NSBA, NCBC, 

and the ACAT group. Plans for meeting with ASNT 

are underway. Collaborative projects with NSBA and 

NCBC have begun. Efforts are underway with these 

industry groups and the FHWA LTBP staff to begin 

creating national timelines of milestone changes in 

bridge practices from 1960 to the present. The ACAT 

group has provided detailed reviews of draft LTBP 

protocols for long-term instrumentation of bridges.

Conclusions

Industry Day provided a platform for the LTBP Program 

to actively engage industry groups and foster collaboration. Attendees exchanged many ideas and identified opportunities to work with and support the LTBP 

Program. Many different technologies were displayed 

during the poster session, and the industry/professional 

associations in attendance presented different ways 

that they could lend their expertise.

There are many potential mutual benefits to collaboration, including sharing expertise; data sharing to utilize 

existing data, studies, and data collection or monitoring

systems; cost-sharing on specific studies or technology implementation; developing data collection 

standards, personnel certification, and training materials; and deploying innovative, field-ready technology, 

which supports LTBP data collection needs and can 

provide a path to validation for new technology.

The LTBP Program will continue to evaluate the various 

promising collaboration opportunities discussed and 

assess how they can help meet the objectives of the 

program. The LTBP Program looks forward to continuing collaboration with industry partners and working 

together to improve knowledge and understanding of 

bridge performance.

FEBRUARY 2014 FHWA-HRT-14-031

HRDI-60/02-14(750)E