Provide details for shear keys on abutment and bent caps of I-girder, U-beam, spread box beam (X-beam), and spread slab beam bridges that cross water features and meet any of the following criteria:

River and stream crossings: The distance between the bottom of the beam and the 100- year high water level, as shown on the layout, is less than 4 feet.
Tidally influenced bridges: Refer to the AASHTO
Guide Specifications for Bridges Vulnerable to Coastal Storms
for guidelines.

Crossing Water Features:

Location of a shear key is at the discretion of the designer, however shear keys are typically located between the exterior and first interior beam on the upstream side of the bridge. This design practice supplements the use of dowels, if dowels are required.

Grade Separations:

Design U-beam bridges with shear keys on abutment and bent caps when the roadway has a single-direction cross-slope. Location of a shear key is at the discretion of the designer, however shear keys are typically located between the exterior and first interior beam on the high side of cross-slope.

Crossing Water Features:

Location of a shear key is at the discretion of the designer, however shear keys are typically located between the exterior and first interior beam on the upstream side of the bridge.

Grade Separations:

Include shear keys on bent and abutment caps of X-beam and spread slab beam superstructures, for all allowable skews (0° through 30°) when the roadway has single direction cross-slope. Location of a shear key is at the discretion of the designer, however shear keys are typically located between the exterior and first interior beam on the high side of cross-slope.

Crossing Water Features:

Location of a shear key is at the discretion of the designer, however shear keys are typically located between the exterior and first interior beam on the upstream side of bridge.

Additional lateral restraint measures are not required for slab beam, box beam, and decked slab beam structures, unless the bent cap does not have an earwall.

Crossing Water Features:

Provide lateral restraints on steel bridges crossing water features. For additional considerations and guidance, refer to the

TxDOT Preferred Practices for Steel Bridge Design, Fabrication, and Erection.