Chapter 1: About this Manual
Section 1: Introduction
Purpose of the Manual
The purpose of this manual is to document policy on geotechnical characterization and design for bridges, retaining walls, slopes, and ancillary structures in Texas transportation projects.
This manual is intended to assist Texas bridge and geotechnical designers in applying provisions documented in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 2020, 9th Edition
, which designers must adhere to unless directed otherwise by this document. The following manuals and guides should be used in companion with this document for designing geotechnical components of bridges, slopes, and earth retaining structures in Texas.- Bridge Design Manual – LRFD
- Bridge Design Guide
- Bridge Detailing Guide
- Bridge Railing Manual
- Bent (Pier) Protection Guide
- Bridge Project Development Manual
- Bridge Inspection Manual
- Scour Evaluation Guide
- Scour Analysis Guide
- Hydraulic Design Manual
- Quality Control and Quality Assurance Guide
All AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications Articles, Equations, and Tables referenced in this manual are from the 9th Edition of AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, unless noted otherwise.
Updates
Updates to this manual are summarized in the following table.
Version | Publication Date | Summary of Changes |
2024-1 | April 2024 | New Manual |
Organization
Information in this manual is organized into the following chapters:
- Manual Overview.Introductory information on the purpose and organization of the manual.
- Investigations.Requirements for conducting soil surveys for projects with bridges, retaining walls, slopes and embankments, sign structures, illumination, sound walls, and radio towers.
- Field Operations.Requirements for drilling, sampling, and field testing.
- Subsurface Classification.Description of material order, level of description, and classification.
- Foundation Design.Guidelines for selecting foundation types, drilled shafts, piling, and requirements for scour analysis.
- Retaining Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes.Requirements for retaining wall selection, layouts, design, and excavation support.
- Slope Stability.Requirements for slope stability design and analysis.
Appendices:
Appendix 1 - Legacy Texas Cone Penetration (TCP) Evaluation
Appendix 2 – Ancillary Structure Foundations
Feedback
Direct any questions or comments on the content of the manual to the Geotechnical Branch of the Bridge Division.