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This educational application supplements, but does not replace, the official AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, applicable state DOT manuals, project specifications, and professional engineering judgment.

Graded quiz

Chapter 3 — Loads and Load Combinations (20 questions)

Chapter 3 — Loads and Load Combinations (20 questions)

20 questions · PE-exam format · 70% to pass · attempts save to your progress record when signed in.

Work each item to the requested precision. Use the Show clue button only after an honest attempt — hints reveal the AASHTO section and setup, not the answer.

  1. Q1

    HL-93 design truck: front axle 8 kip, two 32-kip rear axles at 14 ft. Compute the truck total weight (kip).

    kip

    HL-93 design truck

    8 kip32 kip32 kip14 ft14–30 ft
  2. Q2

    Placing the truck symmetrically on an L = 40 ft simple span (14-ft rear-axle spacing, front axle off span), compute maximum midspan moment from the truck alone using absolute maximum by Barré's theorem — placing both 32-kip axles equidistant from centerline. Report M (k-ft).

    k-ft

    HL-93 design truck

    8 kip32 kip32 kip14 ft14–30 ft
  3. Q3

    Lane load: w = 0.64 klf, L = 40 ft simple span. Compute midspan M (k-ft).

    k-ft

    HL-93 design lane load

    w = 0.64 klfuniform over full span, 10 ft wide
  4. Q4

    Total HL-93 midspan LL moment (truck+lane, IM = 33% on truck), L = 40 ft. Truck = 449 k-ft, lane = 128 k-ft. Compute total MLL+IM (k-ft).

    k-ft
  5. Q5

    Design tandem consists of:

  6. Q6

    For a short span L = 20 ft, tandem (2×25 kip @ 4 ft) placed for max midspan moment gives Mtandem = 220 k-ft. Add lane. Compute total LL+IM using IM = 33%.

    k-ft

    Lane on short span

    w = 0.64 k/ftL = 20 ft
  7. Q7

    Multiple presence factor m for 3 loaded lanes is:

  8. Q8

    An interior girder distribution factor for two or more design lanes (moment, cross-section a): DF = 0.075 + (S/9.5)⁰·⁶ × (S/L)⁰·² × (Kg/(12L·ts³))⁰·¹. For S = 8 ft, L = 60 ft, Kg/(12Lts³) = 1.0, compute DF.

    -
  9. Q9

    Wind on structure (WS) at Service I is typically:

  10. Q10

    Wind pressure PD = 0.050 ksf, exposed superstructure depth d = 10 ft. Compute uniform lateral load w (klf) on the girder line.

    klf

    Wind on structure

    w = 0.05 k/ftL = 100 ft
  11. Q11

    Braking force BR per §3.6.4 is the larger of:

  12. Q12

    Two 12-ft lanes loaded. Truck = 72 kip. Compute BR per lane using 25% of axle weights, with multiple-presence m = 1.0 (2 lanes).

    kip
  13. Q13

    Temperature range Procedure A for steel superstructure (moderate climate) is:

  14. Q14

    Steel bridge L = 200 ft, ΔT = 150°F, α = 6.5×10⁻⁶ /°F. Compute free thermal elongation ΔL (in).

    in
  15. Q15

    Vehicular collision force (CT) per §3.6.5 on a pier not protected by a 42-in redirecting barrier is:

  16. Q16

    Deck overhang: 10 kip wheel load 3 ft from face of barrier. Compute moment at fascia girder support (k-ft) per foot width, ignoring lane load. Assume tributary width = 4 ft.

    k-ft/ft

    Deck overhang

    P = 10 kipL = 6 ft
  17. Q17

    Placing a UDL to maximize a positive-quantity ordinate on an influence line requires loading:

    Influence line — reaction at A

    AB1.00
  18. Q18

    Fatigue truck ADTTSL ≥ 20 uses which fatigue limit state?

  19. Q19

    DL only (no LL): wDC = 4.0 klf, L = 120 ft. Compute Strength IV midspan Mu using γDC = 1.50 (k-ft).

    k-ft

    Strength IV example

    w = 4 k/ftL = 120 ft
  20. Q20

    Skew correction for shear in exterior girder, θ = 30°: multiplier ≈ 1.0 + 0.20(tan θ). Compute multiplier.

    -
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Bridge Engineering and Design Using AASHTO LRFD

Graduate interactive textbook for civil engineering students. Aligned to AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 10th Edition (2024).

Regional focus

Maryland & Mid-Atlantic — MDOT SHA, VDOT, PennDOT, FHWA.

Educational notice

This educational application supplements, but does not replace, the official AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, applicable state DOT manuals, project specifications, and professional engineering judgment.

© 2026 Dr. Steve Efe, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.

Developed for engineering education. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use is prohibited.

v1.0 · Reference edition · Aligned to AASHTO LRFD, 10th Edition (2024)