ASTM E2103-11

This standard builds on the concepts and organizational framework established in Classification E1557. This classification describes bridge elements that are major components of most highway, railroad, and pedestrian bridges. The elemental classification is the common thread linking activities and participants in a bridge project from initial planning through operations, maintenance, and disposal.

Note 1—As this classification refers solely to permanent, physical parts of any construction, two additional classifications, Classifications E2083 and E2168, need to be included when calculating construction cost. These standards provide for the inclusion of construction enabling, temporary, and risk mitigation cost figures. Procedures for reporting all these figures are described in Practices E1804 and E2514 and Classification E2516. While these three latter standards were primarily written for building construction, they are nonetheless appropriate and readily applied to other forms of construction as well.

The Users of Bridge UNIFORMAT II Include:

Financial and InvestmentTypically owners, developers, bankers, lenders, accountants, and financial managers.

ImplementationPrimarily project managers; facilities programmers; designers, including engineers; and project controls specialists, including cost planners, estimators, schedulers, specification writers, and risk analysts.

Facilities ManagementComprising property portfolio managers, operating staff, and maintenance staff.

OthersPublic officials, manufacturers, educators, students, and other project stakeholders.

Apply This Classification When Undertaking the Following Work on Bridges:

Financing and Investing:

Structuring costs on an elemental basis for economic evaluations (Guide E1185 and Practices E917, E964, E1057, E1074, E1121, and E1804) early in the design process helps reduce the cost of early financial analysis and can contribute to substantial design and operational savings before decisions have been made that limit options for potential savings.

Implementing:

Cost Modeling, Cost Planning, Estimating and Controlling Project Time and Cost During Planning, Design, and ConstructionUse the bridge UNIFORMAT II classification to prepare budgets and to establish elemental cost plans before design begins. Project managers and project controls specialists use these cost plans against which to measure and control project cost, and quality, and to set design-to-cost targets.

Conducting Value Engineering WorkshopsConducting value engineering workshops (Practices E1699 and E2013). Use this classification as a checklist to ensure that alternatives for all elements of significant cost in the bridge project are analyzed in the creativity phase of the job plan. Also, use the elemental cost data to expedite the development of cost models for bridge systems.

Developing Initial Project Master SchedulesSince projects are essentially built element by element, UNIFORMAT II classifications are an appropriate basis for preparing construction schedules at the start of the design process. Project managers and project controls specialists use these time plans against which to measure and control project time (Practice E2691), and to set milestone target dates.

Performing Risk AnalysesSimulation (Guides E1369 and E2506) is one technique for developing probability distributions of bridge costs when evaluating the economic risk in undertaking a bridge project. Use individual elements and group elements in this classification for developing probability distributions of elemental costs. From these distributions, build up probability distributions of total costs to establish project contingencies (Practices E1946 and E2168) or to serve as inputs to an economic analysis.

Structuring Preliminary Project Descriptions During the Conceptual Design PhaseThis classification facilitates the description of the scope of the project in a clear, concise, and logical sequence for presentation to the client; it provides the basis for the preparation of more detailed elemental estimates during the early concept and preliminary design phases, and it enhances communication between designers and clients by providing a clear statement of the designer’s intent.

4.3.2.6 Coding and Referencing Standard Details In Computer-Aided Design SystemsThis classification allows a designer, for example, to reference an assembly according to this classification’s element designations and build up a database of standard details. This is particularly appropriate to design modeling and building information modeling (BIM) applications.

4.3.3 Managing Facilities:

4.3.3.1 Recording and writing property condition assessment reports in a structured way, using UNIFORMAT II classifications, provides for a consistent, accessible, and searchable database of real property inventory.

4.3.4 Other Activities:

Structuring cost manuals and recording construction, operating, and maintenance costs in a computer database. Having a cost manual or computer database in an elemental format assists the preparation of an economic analysis early in the design stage and at a reasonable cost.

1.1 This standard establishes a classification of bridge elements within the UNIFORMAT II family of elemental classifications. It covers most highway bridges, railroad bridges, and pedestrian bridges.

1.2 UNIFORMAT II classifications have an elemental format similar to the original UNIFORMAT building elemental classification. However, the title UNIFORMAT II differs from the original in that it now takes into consideration a wide range of constructed entities that collectively form the built environment.

1.3 Elements, as defined here, are major physical components that are common within constructed entities. Elements perform their given function(s), regardless of the design specification, construction method, or materials used.

1.4 This elemental classification serves as a consistent reference for analysis, evaluation, and monitoring during the feasibility, planning, and design stages when constructing bridges.

1.5 Using UNIFORMAT II elemental classifications ensures a consistency in the economic evaluation of construction projects over time and from project to project.

1.6 UNIFORMAT II classifications also enhance reporting at all stages of a constructed entity’s life cyclefrom feasibility and planning through the preparation of working documents, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and disposal.

1.7 This classification is unsuitable for process applications or for preparing trade estimates.

1.8 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.

1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.