CPII Bridge Inspection 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which AASHTO rating method accounts for the probability of loads exceeding a threshold during a bridge's remaining service life?
- Load Factor Rating (LFR)
- Allowable Stress Rating (ASR)
- Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) (Correct answer)
- Working Stress Rating (WSR)
Correct answer: Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR)
LRFR uses statistical probability and reliability indices to account for load variability over the remaining service life.
Question 2: During a fracture-critical member (FCM) inspection, what is the minimum required inspection frequency per FHWA guidelines?
- Every year
- Every 18 months (Correct answer)
- Every 24 months
- Every 48 months
Correct answer: Every 18 months
FHWA requires FCM inspections at least every 24 months, but most states mandate every 18 months due to the critical nature of these members.
Question 3: What condition rating is assigned to a bridge element described as 'advanced deterioration with loss of section, spalling, or scour that has affected structural integrity'?
- 3 — Serious (Correct answer)
- 4 — Poor
- 2 — Critical
- 5 — Fair
Correct answer: 3 — Serious
A condition rating of 3 (Serious) indicates loss of section or deterioration that has seriously affected the primary structural components.
Question 4: A bridge inspector notices horizontal cracks in the web of a steel plate girder near the mid-span. What is the most likely cause?
- Fatigue from cyclic loading (Correct answer)
- Shear lag at the flange-web junction
- Lateral torsional buckling
- Web crippling under concentrated loads
Correct answer: Fatigue from cyclic loading
Horizontal web cracks near mid-span of steel plate girders are characteristically caused by fatigue due to repeated cyclic traffic loading.
Question 5: What does the term 'sufficiency rating' measure for a bridge?
- Load-carrying capacity relative to current legal loads
- Overall adequacy for continued service based on structural, functional, and essential factors (Correct answer)
- The ratio of posted load limit to design load
- Deck condition relative to original construction standards
Correct answer: Overall adequacy for continued service based on structural, functional, and essential factors
The sufficiency rating is a composite score (0–100) reflecting structural adequacy, functional obsolescence, and essentiality for public use.
Question 6: When inspecting a prestressed concrete bridge, what defect indicates potential loss of prestress force?
- Transverse cracks at mid-span
- Longitudinal cracks along tendon paths (Correct answer)
- Spalling at the bridge seat
- Efflorescence on the abutment face
Correct answer: Longitudinal cracks along tendon paths
Longitudinal cracks along tendon paths may indicate corrosion of prestressing strands, which can cause loss of prestress and structural capacity.
Question 7: Which scour type removes material from around a bridge pier due to the vortex action of flowing water?
- Contraction scour
- Long-term aggradation
- Local scour (Correct answer)
- General scour
Correct answer: Local scour
Local scour occurs around piers and abutments due to the acceleration of flow and vortex action that removes bed material.
CPII Bridge Inspection 2
Which AASHTO rating method accounts for the probability of loads exceeding a threshold during a bridge's remaining service life?