Structural Bridge Design

Full-Service Structural Bridge Design

With one in four bridges either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, today’s bridge design and engineering specialists need a thorough understanding of all bridge types to overcome the infrastructure challenges we face.

Through an open-minded, collaborative team approach, we work alongside our clients to understand their needs and goals. A staff of over 20 structural engineers, designers, and technicians allows us to respond quickly and efficiently. We offer comprehensive structural bridge design, engineering, and planning services, so you can depend on us for every aspect of your bridge project. The depth of our firm’s experience and resources enhances our ability to foresee and respond proactively to challenges associated with structural bridge design.

Supporting Communities through Structural Engineering

With a focus on developing strong client relationships, we perform bridge design and engineering for inspection, evaluation, repair, rehabilitation, strengthening, design, and load rating.

We take pride in providing practical structural engineering solutions and thoughtful guidance leading to sustainable bridge designs. From idea through execution, we ensure new and existing bridges are highly functional and designed for existing conditions to maintain safety. The level of service and expertise we provide are differentiated by:

Reliable Results – Our multidisciplinary expertise includes roadway, survey, hydraulics, environmental, utilities/site, and landscape architecture. With such a diverse team of support staff, we’re able to foresee and mitigate project challenges to deliver top-notch results. Buildable plans with complete specifications reduce the need for clarification during construction.
Collaboration — Unique site challenges and structural bridge design solutions are identified by working alongside clients, stakeholders, and specialty experts. Strong relationships with regulatory agencies streamline project permitting.
Strategy — During the concept phase, realistic and appropriate designs are identified to help with budget forecasting, funding, and project planning. Breaking one large structural bridge design project into multiple, smaller phases can lessen the monetary burden of improvements.
Adaptability — If necessary, we can compress bridge design schedules to protect project funding goals or maximize contractor flexibility, reducing project costs and extending the use of resources. We are familiar with public/private partnerships and alternative contract delivery methods.
Responsiveness – From concept through construction and project closeout, we respond quickly and efficiently to keep your project moving forward.

Snyder & Associates Structural Bridge Design Services

Bridge Concept & Feasibility Studies

Identifying and understanding your project goals and needs helps us evaluate project feasibility and establish budgets and schedules. Project sites are evaluated to determine possible bridge types, lengths, and deck configurations. Hydraulic analysis results, along with roadway planning needs and right-of-way (ROW) limits, are used to optimize construction depths, span lengths, and arrangements for multiple bridge types.

Structural Bridge Design

Type, size, and location (TSL) plans illustrate the proposed bridge and site conditions, including buried and exposed utilities, grading, channel, and roadway lines. Horizontal, vertical, and hydraulic freeboard clearances and ROW are confirmed.

Final plans depict complete construction details to minimize construction inquiries, reducing your inspection and administrative efforts. Detailed specifications and requirements simplify material submittal reviews and reduce the potential for change orders. We strive to optimize structural bridge design components to maximize economy.

Bridge Rehabilitation & Restoration

Whether a bridge needs to be widened to accommodate traffic, strengthened for higher load capacities, or restored to maintain historical significance, we can help maximize your bridge investment dollars.

Our complete bridge rehabilitation process begins with an extensive bridge inspection/evaluation to determine current conditions and required repairs. A load rating of the existing bridge is conducted to determine its current load capacity. A thorough cost estimate is developed, and a report detailing the condition of the bridge and recommended repairs are provided to assist in securing project funding.

Combining experience and expertise, we create innovative structural bridge designs with detailed plans that allow the structure to function as a modern bridge, extending its life, while working with fewer dollars.

Construction Administration/Bridge Construction Engineering

Our construction engineering services provide contractors with engineered plans to assist with bridge construction. Working with contractors, we strive to utilize materials and equipment that are suited for each individual contractor. Specific services we offer include:

WEAP analysis to develop pile driving graphs
Bridge demolition plans
Bridge beam/girder erection plans
Cofferdams
Temporary shoring

Construction review services are provided on a routine basis for the transportation projects we design. This can range from a limited scope of services to full scope resident engineering.

Funding & Grant Writing Assistance

Our bridge design and engineering team has years of experience pursuing state and federal funding assistance. We can help navigate the process, write grant applications, and administer the appropriate documentation for each funding service.

Bridge Inspection & Load Rating

Experienced structural bridge designers make keen observations during inspection to help spot deficiencies, maintain safety, and help secure funding for projects that address identified issues.

Our inspectors are Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/National Highway Institute (NHI) trained to fulfill the requirements of National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) as well as State DOT and local municipality requirements. These inspections provide data to populate the National Bridge Inventory (NBI).

In addition to routine inspections, our staff is trained for fracture critical and confined space inspections. Teaming with underwater bridge inspection firms, we provide full-service bridge inspections.

Experienced staff also provides load ratings for all legal trucks and special ratings for permit trucks.