December 2011 Update

Website Header
The header for the website has been updated to be cleaner and hopefully slightly easier to see and use.

Strut & Tie Method
A link to the AASHTO-published paper on using the Strut & Tie Method which Joe Riley mentioned in a recent e-mail has been added to the integral abutment and pier design pages of the website.

SOL 431-11-02
A link to this SOL which discusses "Publication 238 - Bridge Safety Inspection Manual - Revision of Appendix IP 01-K, Standard Reimbursement Agreement" has been added to the Bridge Inspection section of the website.

SOL 431-11-03
A link to this SOL which discusses "Publication 218M, BD-628M Modification to Approach Slab Joints and Waterproofing Details Implementation into Active Projects in Construction" has been added to the Deck Design page and the Joints page of the website.

November 2011 Update

**BIG UPDATE**   Prestressed Concrete Beam Design Section Added
Finally, Greg's section of the design website devoted to prestressed concrete beam design has gone live and is now accesible from the Structures / Bridge Design index page.  It features a large amount of information on the subject, so be sure to check it out the next time you are working with prestressed beams.

Conference Call Info
A document has been added to the Extra Info section that describes using our account with McGraw Communications.  The service can be used for setting up conference calls.

Pub. 408 Link Updated
The link at the top of the design website for PADOT's Pub. 408 has been updated to the most recent version.

September 2011 Update

Type OGS Backfill
An explanation of type OGS backfill has been added to the Culvert Design section of the Design Website.  CON/SPAN culverts require type OGS (open grade subbase) backfill in certain areas around their culverts, so this explanation has been added to clarify any confusion.

New Jersey PE Continuing Education Info
A new document explaining the continuing education requirements for New Jersey PEs has been added to the PDH section of the website.  This is the same file that was e-mailed around by Joe Riley recently.

Bulletin 15 Link
A link to PennDOT's Bulletin 15 (aka Pub. 35) has been added to the top of the Design Website to make it more accessible since it seems to be a commonly used reference.

District 11-0 Best Practices
A link to the list of Best Practices for PennDOT District 11-0 has been added to the Client Links section of the website.  This is also something that was sent around by Joe Riley earlier in the week.

August 2011 Update - Part 2

Pile Properties Tables Added
Tables from PADOT's DM-4 have been added to the appropriate abutment design sections of the website.  The tables provide data for piles with and without section loss which is often needed for PADOT's abutment design programs.

Headwall Deletion Letter Added
A link has been added to the Culvert Design page of the Design Website which brings up a letter from PADOT explaining that the approved standard drawings for CON/SPAN precast arch culverts incorrectly show that structure-mounted barriers/guiderails can be used.  PADOT currently does not allow these details because they found them to not meet FHWA impact requirements.

Square on Square
The Chinese restaurant Square on Square has been added to the International Lunches section of the website.

Mileage Reimbursement Rates Updated
Mileage Reimbursement Rates have been moved to the Extra Info page to be easier to find.  Links are provided for PADOT's reimbursement rate as well as the Ammann & Whitney reimbursement rate.

Abutment Design Page Added
A new "hub" page for the various abutment design pages has been added.  This page will host information typically common to all or most abutment types.  Currently included is a link to SOL 431-11-03 which modifies bridge seat/approach slab waterproofing details.

RC Changes - June, 2010
On the Roadway Design page a link to a summary of the June, 2010 changes to PADOT's RCs has been added.

August 2011 Update - Part 1

Rating Truck Diagram Updated
On the Rating section of the Design Website Ahcene noticed that there was a mistake with the 3S2 truck in the linked PDF that shows axel loads for different rating trucks.  This error has been corrected.

Horizontal and Vertical Clearance Section Added
A new Horizontal and Vertical Clearance section has been added to the Structures portion of the Design Website.  Included on the page are links to a few references and design templates.

Bridge Inspection Section Added
A new Bridge Inspection page has been added to the Design Website.  Included is a link to PADOT's "Bridge Safety Inspection FAQs".  In the future this page will have a full write-up on the topic - the majority of which will be written by Dennis.

Quantities and Estimates Section Added
A new Quantities and Estimates section has been added to the Structures portion of the Design Website.  Currently included is a link to PADOT's "Cost Driver Analysis" document.

A&W Phone Directory Updated
The Ammann & Whitney Phone Directory which is linked to from the Extra Info page has been updated with the most recent changes from HR.  It has been reformatted to be more clear and easier for printing.

Concrete Beam Selection Charts & Tables Added
On the Prestressed Concrete Beam Design page a link has been added to two charts and some tables from a Schuylkill Products brochure.  The charts and tables are good references for available concrete beam shapes and sizes and for comparing required beam sizes when using a given span and beam spacing.

First Update in New Office

For the first time since we moved into our new space at 2401 Walnut Street, the Design Website has been updated!  For now, the update is mostly aesthetic - a new-looking website for a new-looking office.  This update has been getting put together in very tiny chunks for several months now, but now that things are coming together, all the additions and revisions that have been e-mailed and suggested to me will be trickling out in small updates over the coming weeks.

One of the first things you'll notice on the newly designed website is the news section on the first page which now pulls live updates from the new "A&W Design Website News" blog which will be updated each time something significant gets added or revised on the site.

Most of the other visible changes are minor, but if you have trouble finding something or notice that anything is not working the way it should (like links), please e-mail me and I'll take care of it as fast as possible.

Old Update - January, 2011

Time Off Schedule & Request Form
Links to these two documents have been added to the Extra Info section of the website.

Binder Covers and Spines
Templates for cover and spine inserts for report binders for PennDOT and Turnpike projects have been added to the Extra Info section of the website under a new area titled Helpful Resources.

AASHTO Binder Covers and Spines
Also under the Helpful Resources area on the Extra Info page, a link to two sets of AASHTO covers and spines have been provided. You can use these covers and spines to split your gigantic AASHTO binder into two much more manageable 2” binders. Each cover and spine is labeled with the chapters that its binder will contain.

Ammann & Whitney Public Resource Website
For those who need remote access to either your work computer or your work e-mail, a Google Sites website has been created that has links to both of these resources. The website also provides instructions on how to use each remote login resource. This site was created with the intention of being able to be easily remembered since the remote login website addresses can be hard to remember when you don’t have access to your work machine. You will always be able to easily find the site by searching for “Ammann Whitney” through the Google Sites webpage (sites.google.com). Be sure to bookmark the site on your non-work computers.The website is:  https://sites.google.com/site/ammannwhitneyresources/home

Old Update - December, 2010

PennDOT Mileage Reimbursement Rates
A link has been added under the PennDOT section on the Client Links page to PennDOT’s allowable mileage reimbursement rates. The link actually takes you to a website belonging to the US General Services Administration, but PennDOT mirrors these rates.

Bridge Aesthetics Section
Under the Bridge Design tab a link has been added to a new section on bridge aesthetics. Included are links to the Transportation Research Board’s Bridge Aesthetics Handbook and Ahcene’s recent presentation on the subject.

Old Update - November 2010

PDH Section Updates
New links have been added to the PDH section of the website which connect to information on continuing education requirements from the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, and the Pennsylvania State Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. Also, a link to our in-house PDH tracking log, as well as a seminar attendance sheet have been added.

PennDOT Memos & Updates
A link to an update to the design standards for box culverts (BD-632M) has been added to the Culvert Design section under the “References” section. Also, a recent memo concerning the selection of thermoplastic pipes for storm water management has been added to the newly created Roadway Design section of the website. Although this section is rather limited on information (only the above mentioned link is included as of now), this area of the website will hopefully become much more fleshed out in the near future.

BLCs
A link to PennDOT’s Low Cost Standards for Glulam Lumber Bridge Design has been added to the Client Links page under “PennDOT.”

Beam Design Links
A few new links have been added to the beam design sections. These include links to AISC’s Bender-Roller Group website which contains lots of info on the bending and rolling of steel shapes, a guideline for economic design of prestressed concrete beam superstructures, and a current list of AASHTO concrete beam shapes and dimensions. All of these links can be found under the “Other Resources” section of the Beam/Girder Design page.

Detailed PennDOT District Map
Lastly, a more detailed PennDOT district map has been added to the Cube Zone section of the website. This new map includes more detailed information about each district as well as contact info for each districts main office.

Old Update - September, 2010

Beam Design Pages
Pages for the design of Spread Box Beams, Adjacent Box Beams, P/S I-Beams, Steel I-Beams, Segmental Box Beams, and Steel Tub Girders are now active. They have not yet been fleshed out with the information available on the other design pages, but they can be used to find references, fabricators, and available design templates for each system.

Skew Distances Sheet Corrected
The Skew Distances reference sheet has been checked, and has had a few mistakes corrected. If you have this sheet printed out, please print the new version to avoid mistakes.

Rebar Reference Table
A table summarizing reinforcement sizes and weights has been added to the Cube Zone section of the website. This is another reference that is helpful to have available when working with rebar.

Bar Marks Added to Library
Standard PennDOT reinforcement shapes have been added to the Philadelphia Cell Library (located in H:\LIBRARY\STANDARD\Design_Website\Files For Website\Drafting) and can be used to quickly put together a reinforcement schedule sheet.

Old Update - October, 2010

PDH Resources
A new page has been added under the Extra Info section of the website which provides resources for obtaining Professional Development Hours. A link to general info regarding what the requirements are for registered Pennsylvania Professional Engineers is also provided. As this is a new section, there are only a few links as of now, so be sure to give feedback if there is anything that can be added.

Drafting Section Updated
The Drafting section of the website has been updated to be more clear as to where to find the information you may be looking for. Links and other resources have also been added.

“New!” Items
A bunch of links and documents have either been added or updated. To make life simpler for finding the new and updated items a bright red tag has been added to each. The tags looks like so: NEW! UPDATED! Most of the new items can be found on the Extra Info page and in the Drafting section.

Old Update - June 2, 2010

PennDOT Item Numbering
A link has been added to the design website which opens up the PennDOT Numbering conventions for structure items. This strike-off letter has been e-mailed around before, and although it's ancient (it's from 1990) most of it is still very much applicable, and very useful when figuring out what item number to use for structures (i.e. a spread box beam bridge is a 8010 item, while an adjacent box beam bridge is a 8020 item). The link is on the Client Links page under PennDOT. The file itself can be viewed here.

Contractor Prequalification (Work Classification) Codes
Since getting to the list of contractor prequal. codes through ECMS is a hassle, Joe Riley has made a PDF of this list so it can be quickly brought up whenever you need it. It can be found on the Client Links page immediately above the item numbering link mentioned above.

Roadway Sample Plans
As Eric mentioned yesterday, a set of sample roadway drawings has been added to the Helpful Drafting Tips page. These plans detail all the ins-and-outs of a typical roadway plan set, and also go over some common drafting errors and how to fix them.

Abbreviations
As we all know, engineering as a profession probably uses more abbreviations and acronyms than all other professions combined… As such, it can be quite difficult remembering what all those abbreviations and acronyms stand for. To help with this, three new links have been added under the PennDOT section of the Client Links page. These links will take you to:

The list of accepted abbreviations for drawings, as stated in the DM-3

The list of common abbreviations and acronyms, as used in the DM-4

Every other abbreviation or acronym you will ever need

Stone Arch Handbook
A newly discovered PennDOT publication, the PennDOT Stone Arch Bridge Maintenance Manual, was found by Ase last month and has been added to the K-drive library under PADOT Pubs > Bridge. A link has been added to the website on the still unfinished Bridge Rehab section.

Skewed Steel Bridges
The Skewed Bridge Geometry presentation that Nick Roberts e-mailed around last week has been added to the Steel I-Beam Design page under the seminars section. This presentation gives an overview of how steel I-beams are affected by skewed bridge geometry, and why beam layover is required to ensure the beams are plumb when the bridge is finished.

Old Update - April 2, 2010

Stair Climb Champion
Congratulations to our very own Niki Reader for taking first place in women’s age group of 19-29 at the 2010 Fight for Air Climb which benefited the American Lung Association. (Thanks to Bryan for bringing this to our attention.)

Old Update - June 1, 2010

AccuDraw Shortcuts
Thanks to a suggestion from Tony, a quick rundown of useful AccuDraw shortcuts for MicroStation use has been added to the Helpful Drafting Tips section of the website. Be sure to test them out since they can save you loads of drafting time and headaches. You can find the list here.

New Links
Several new links have been added to the Extra Info page Including links to the Transportation Research Board’s website, and their Bridge Aesthetics handbook, an interesting article on the history of record spans, and a website that tracks the world’s highest bridges.

Old Update - March 29, 2010

Skew Distances
A new version of Skew Distances has been posted. It includes some important revisions to its formulas.

Beam Daps and Beam Seat Elevations
New spreadsheets have been added to the structures templates. Dap & Beam Seat Elev calculates beam daps and beam seat elevations for beams that require daps, and Integral Abut Beam Seat Elev calculates beam seat elevations for integral abutments.

Contractor Qualification Codes
A link has been added to the Client Links page that takes you to the ECMS page containing an extensive list of PennDOT’s contractor qualification codes.

Old Update - March 17, 2010

Bridge Rating
Ahcene’s write-up on bridge rating is now up. You can access it through the Bridge Design page or click here.

Old Update - March 24, 2010

International Lunches
A set of links has been added on the Extra Info page for all the International Lunch restaurants.

3D Reinforcement
A new spreadsheet has been added to the structure design templates. This new spreadsheet lets you calculate segment lengths and the angle between segments for bars that are bent, but don’t stay in one of the three normal planes (and thus these dimensions can’t be measured from our drawings). If this sounds confusing, just check out the spreadsheet here which has a clear diagram of this situation.

Bidder Prequalification
A link has been added to the Client Links page that takes you to the Pennsylvania Code website where the required prequalification of bidders is outlined.

Old Update - March 4, 2010

Vote for Niki!
Click on the Bumble Bee tuna logo above to vote for our very own Niki Reader to win the Bumble Bee jingle contest. Be sure to watch her video first though to witness her talent for yourself! UPDATE: The poll is closed, but you can still see the videos here.

Feet and Inches
New files have been added to the Structures Design Templates that allow you to now use three new functions in Excel to convert feet and inches from text to a decimal number and back again. Feet and Inches gives an overview of the functions and how to use them, and Reinf Design is a template for reinforcement calculations and quantities that has been cleaned up from the previous version, and now utilizes the three new functions.

Old Update - March 1, 2010

Cube Zone
A new section to the website called “Cube Zone” has been added! Here you can find all the best stuff to hang on the walls of your cubicle or office. To get there, go to the Extra Info tab then select the “Cube Zone” icon. There’s lots of new stuff in there, so be sure to check it out!

Philly Office Cell Library
One of the new additions in the Cube Zone is a list of helpful file paths. In this list is an item under cell libraries called “Philly Office.” This cell library is a work in progress, but currently contains standard title blocks and section cut title blocks for most structural scales. These can be placed in any drawing and the title text modified without having to drop/explode the cell at all. Be sure to check it out the next time you need a title block!