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Courses/Engineering/Structural Engineering

Designing Highway Bridges to Alberta Criteria and CSA S6

Provincial design requirements, loads, geometry, materials, foundations and bridge components that apply alongside the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code

Created byEngineering Education Group
BeginnerUpdated Oct 8, 2026
Designing Highway Bridges to Alberta Criteria and CSA S6

What You'll Learn

check_circleIdentify where Alberta bridge criteria depart from or add to CSA S6 requirements
check_circleApply the required design vehicle, fatigue, seismic and collision load provisions to highway and pedestrian bridges
check_circleEstablish bridge geometry, span arrangements and clearances consistent with provincial criteria
check_circleSpecify durability measures, materials and concrete cover appropriate to the required design life
check_circleEvaluate substructure, piling, abutment and retaining wall requirements, including MSE wall consultant responsibilities
check_circleSelect and detail standard deck joints, barriers and transitions for the applicable test level

About This Course

Designing a highway bridge in Alberta is not just a matter of applying CSA S6. The province layers its own requirements on top of the code, sets out specific exceptions to it and expects consultants to use its standard drawings for barriers, deck joints, drain troughs and waterproofing. Missing one of those exceptions can mean redesign late in the project. This course walks you through those provincial bridge design criteria and how they interact with the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code.

You will review the listed exceptions to CSA S6, design loads for highway and pedestrian bridges (including CL-800 truck loading, fatigue, seismic design and vehicle collision loads), load evaluation and rehabilitation, and bridge geometry such as alignment, grades and crossfall, deck width, span lengths, bearing setting and horizontal and vertical clearances. Durability and materials topics include minimum design life, deck and approach slab protection, deck drainage, splash zones, sealers, material grades and clear concrete cover. Later modules cover substructures, piling, piers, abutments and embankments, retaining walls and mechanically stabilized earth walls, bearings, precast prestressed concrete and steel girder superstructures, decks, curbs, medians and sidewalks, deck joints, barriers and transitions for TL-2 to TL-5 test levels, bridge drainage, ducts and conduit systems, overhead sign structures and the preparation of detailed design drawings. It is aimed at bridge and structural engineers who design, check or review bridge projects in Alberta.

What Will Be Covered:

  • Exceptions to CSA S6 and use of provincial standard and typical detail drawings

  • Design loads: CL-800 truck, fatigue, seismic design, pedestrian bridges and vehicle collision loads

  • Load evaluation and bridge rehabilitation requirements

  • Bridge geometry: alignment, grades, deck width, span lengths and clearances

  • Durability, design life, material grades, sealers and clear concrete cover

  • Substructures, piling, piers, abutments and bridge embankments

  • Retaining walls and mechanically stabilized earth walls

  • Bearings and precast prestressed concrete and steel girder superstructures

  • Decks, barriers and transitions, deck joints and bridge drainage

  • Ducts and conduits, overhead sign structures and detailed design drawings

Your Instructor

Engineering  Education Group
Engineering Education Group

Professional online education for engineers and technical professionals

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Engineering Education Group provides online professional development and continuing education courses for engineers, technical professionals, and industry practitioners. Our programs focus on practical skills, technical knowledge, industry standards, and lifelong learning through flexible and accessible online education.

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We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.

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