On May 11, 2021, a partial fracture was discovered on one of the two tie girders on the Hernando de Soto Bridge. This four lane, 900 foot main span bridge carries traffic across the Mississippi River between Memphis, Tennessee and West Memphis, Arkansas. This finding required an immediate river and road closure. TRB hosted a webinar on Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Eastern that shared the response to this event, which included a special inspection, analysis, development of analytical models, and repair plans. Presenters discussed the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) directives regarding the inspection and testing of butt welds fabricated from AASHTO M244 Grade 100 steel, more commonly known as “T-1” steel. Presenters also discussed recommendations for addressing the FHWA directive testing requirements.
This webinar was sponsored by the TRB Standing Technical Committee on Steel Bridges.
The slides and recording are available.
Webinar agenda and presenters
The first 60 minutes of the webinar will be for presentations and the final 30 minutes will be reserved for audience questions.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Professional Development Hours
Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.