The Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Inspector's Reference Manual (BIRM) is a comprehensive manual on programs, procedures, and techniques for inspecting and evaluating a variety of in-service highway bridges. BIRM serves as the basis of a comprehensive National Highway Institute training program in bridge-safety inspection. The present course is based on BIRM's Section 3, Fundamentals of Bridge Inspection. The various types of bridge inspection are defined, and necessary steps for preparing for and actually performing the inspection are described. Safety and traffic control procedures are discussed, as are standard tools needed for cleaning, observing, and documenting the condition of bridge elements. The various types of equipment available to provide access to bridge components are listed. Topics: This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills: Duties of the bridge inspection team Safety practices Traffic control Inspection equipment Methods of access This course is intended primarily for civil, construction, and structural engineers, and would be of particular interest to consulting engineers or to engineers serving in government organizations concerned with the safety of bridges. Publication Source: US DOT (Federal Highway Administration)