Georgia/Carolinas PCI Prestressed Concrete Bridge Inspector Workshop & Design Seminar

Georgia/Carolinas PCI, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), Georgia Institute of Technology, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE), is pleased to host two days of technical education focused on the inspection, evaluation, design, construction, and repair of prestressed concrete bridges. The seminars will be held at the Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Thursday, October 8, and Friday, October 9, 2026.

Designed for bridge engineers, inspectors, consultants, contractors, DOT personnel, and other professionals involved with prestressed concrete bridges, the program brings together experts from industry, government, academia, and the consulting community. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from practical field experience, current research, case studies, and established industry practices.

Whether you are an experienced bridge professional or looking to expand your knowledge of prestressed concrete bridge systems, this two-day program offers practical information, current research, and valuable industry perspectives that can be applied to today's bridge inspection, design, and construction challenges.

Attend One Day or Both

Attendees are welcome to register for either day individually or attend both seminars for a more comprehensive two-day program. The Thursday Inspector Workshop and Friday Bridge Design Seminar are complementary but independently focused programs, allowing participants to select the content most relevant to their professional responsibilities—or take advantage of both days to gain a broader perspective on prestressed concrete bridge inspection, evaluation, design, construction, and repair.


Thursday, October 8: Inspector Workshop | 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.  $199 per attendee
Friday, October 9: Bridge Design Seminar | 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.   $279 per attendee

Attend both and save! Register for both events for only $379 per attendee

Register Now:  https://gcpci.formstack.com/forms/october_2026_gcpci_bridge_workshop_and_seminar

 

Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.  Earn 5 PDHs - Prestressed Concrete Bridge Inspector Workshop

The Inspector Workshop will focus on practical techniques and considerations for inspecting prestressed concrete bridge elements. The program will help attendees recognize common conditions and deficiencies, understand their potential causes and significance, and identify when additional evaluation or repair may be warranted as outlined by PCI’s Manual for the Evaluation and Repair of Precast, Prestressed Concrete Bridge Products (MNL 137).

The workshop will incorporate perspectives from GDOT, WJE, GA Tech, and G/C PCI with an emphasis on applying inspection knowledge to real-world prestressed concrete bridge conditions. Topics will include common distress and deterioration mechanisms, inspection considerations for prestressed girders, documentation and evaluation of deficiencies, repair considerations, and lessons learned from actual bridge projects. The workshop is intended to provide inspectors and engineers with practical knowledge they can take directly into the field.

Upon completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify common distress and deterioration mechanisms in precast and prestressed concrete bridge elements and recognize conditions that may affect structural performance, durability, serviceability, or long-term performance.
  • Recognize common deficiencies in prestressed concrete girders, including issues associated with cracking, spalling, reinforcement and prestressing strand exposure, end regions, bearing areas, fabrication deficiencies, camber, sweep, and other conditions encountered during bridge inspection.
  • Assess the potential causes and significance of observed conditions and distinguish between conditions that can be monitored, repaired, or accepted and those that may warrant additional engineering evaluation.
  • Evaluate and document girder deficiencies in the field using consistent inspection practices, including appropriate measurements, photographs, descriptions, and other information needed to support engineering evaluation and repair decisions.
  • Apply PCI’s MNL-137 guidance to real-world inspection scenarios, including determining when a condition may require further investigation, engineering analysis, repair, or other action.
  • Evaluate girder camber and recognize its potential impact on bridge construction
  • Employ practical approaches for measuring and addressing camber and sweep including recognizing when observed camber or sweep may be outside expected ranges and when additional evaluation is warranted.
  • Apply lessons learned from actual bridge projects presented by GDOT, WJE, Georgia Tech, and Georgia/Carolinas PCI to improve inspection, documentation, evaluation, and repair decisions.
  • Summarize findings from Georgia Tech research on the repair and acceptance of nonconforming precast/prestressed concrete girders and apply the research findings when evaluating girder deficiencies and making bridge inspection recommendations.
  • Identify current approaches to the repair and acceptance of nonconforming girders, including considerations for top- and bottom-flange repairs, repair materials, anchorage systems, bearing zones, and other areas of concern identified through research and field experience.
  • Connect laboratory research to field inspection practice through a tour of Georgia Tech laboratory facilities and discussion of full-scale testing and repair research.

Agenda:

       Morning Technical Session | Thursday, Oct 8th | 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

  • Camber and Sweep
  • Repairs
  • GDOT
  • PCI MNL-137
  • Panel Discussion

    A facilitated discussion with representatives from GDOT and Georgia/Carolinas PCI prestressed concrete fabricators addressing current design, fabrication, construction, repair, and acceptance challenges. Audience interaction and Slido polling will be incorporated to identify and discuss topics of greatest interest to attendees.

    Lunch | 12:00 p.m.

    Afternoon Session | 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

    Georgia Tech Laboratory Tour & Research Presentation on Pragmatic Precast/Prestressed Girder Acceptance Criteria

  • This presentation will provide an overview of research conducted at Georgia Tech evaluating nonconforming precast/prestressed concrete girders. The research included full-scale experimental testing of BT-54 girders with simulated nonconformance issues. Research results indicated that top-flange repairs consistently exceeded the original girder strength, while bottom-flange repairs were generally effective except in bearing zones. The presentation will discuss recommendations for simplifying top-flange repair procedures, reconsidering the use of epoxy bonding agents, adopting stainless-steel anchorage materials for bottom-flange repairs, and developing revised standardized repair procedures.

    Friday, October 9, 2026 | 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Earn 7 PDHs - Prestressed Concrete Bridge Design Seminar

    The Bridge Design Seminar will provide a technical, application-focused program for professionals involved in the design, fabrication, construction, and evaluation of prestressed concrete bridges. The seminar will move beyond basic prestressed concrete concepts and focus on issues frequently encountered in practice.

    Topics will include economical fabrication and shipping/handling, draping and debonding, release-strength considerations, lateral stability, camber and sweep, common fabrication and construction issues, repair considerations, and emerging materials and technologies such as ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and UHPC piles.

    The program will also feature a GDOT case study on raising the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge, a panel discussion with GDOT and Georgia/Carolinas PCI prestressed concrete fabricators, and a tour of Georgia Tech's laboratory facilities. The afternoon program will include a presentation on Georgia Tech research evaluating nonconforming precast/prestressed concrete girders, including full-scale testing, repair performance, and recommendations for improved acceptance and repair procedures.

    This seminar assumes attendees have a basic understanding of prestressed concrete bridge design or have completed PCI’s free eLearning Course T110: Preliminary Precast, Prestressed Concrete Design.

    Upon completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:

  • Explain key fabrication considerations that affect the quality, economy, and performance of prestressed concrete bridge elements.
  • Evaluate practical considerations related to the shipping, handling, and erection of prestressed concrete girders.
  • Apply principles of strand draping and debonding and compare their relationship to release strength and girder performance.
  • Identify and address common prestressed girder issues, including lateral stability, camber, sweep, and fabrication-related deficiencies.
  • Discuss appropriate approaches to repair and acceptance of nonconforming prestressed concrete elements.
  • Describe emerging materials and technologies, including UHPC and UHPC piles, and their potential applications in bridge construction.
  • Outline design and construction considerations for the GDOT Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge project
  • Summarize findings from Georgia Tech research on the repair and acceptance of nonconforming precast/prestressed concrete girders.

    Agenda:

    Morning Technical Session | Friday, October 9, 2026 | 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

  • Advanced Prestressed Concrete Design & Fabrication Topics
  • Economical fabrication considerations
  • Shipping, handling, and erection
  • Draping and debonding
  • Release strength considerations
  • Lateral stability
  • Camber and sweep
  • Common fabrication and construction issues
  • Repair considerations
  • New materials and technologies
  • Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC)
  • UHPC piles
  • Other emerging applications and industry preferences
  • PCI bridge design resources and innovations
  • GDOT Case Study: Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge Raising
  • Practical application of prestressed concrete bridge design and construction considerations
  • Lessons learned and discussion

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Lunch | 12:00 p.m.

    Afternoon Session | 1:00 p.m.– 4:00 p.m.

    Panel Discussion

  • A facilitated discussion with representatives from GDOT and Georgia/Carolinas PCI prestressed concrete fabricators addressing current design, fabrication, construction, repair, and acceptance challenges. Audience interaction and Slido polling will be incorporated to identify and discuss topics of greatest interest to attendees.

    Georgia Tech Laboratory Tour & Research Presentation on Pragmatic Precast/Prestressed Girder Acceptance Criteria

  • This presentation will provide an overview of research conducted at Georgia Tech evaluating nonconforming precast/prestressed concrete girders. The research included full-scale experimental testing of BT-54 girders with simulated nonconformance issues. Research results indicated that top-flange repairs consistently exceeded the original girder strength, while bottom-flange repairs were generally effective except in bearing zones. The presentation will discuss recommendations for simplifying top-flange repair procedures, reconsidering the use of epoxy bonding agents, adopting stainless-steel anchorage materials for bottom-flange repairs, and developing revised standardized repair procedures.

Presenters:

JP Binard

JP Binard is a principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) with extensive expertise in precast and prestressed concrete, as well as Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC). His experience includes a wide range of value engineering and design-build projects, where he provides alternative design solutions and construction engineering services for complex heavy civil infrastructure. His work spans bridges, buildings, and waterfront structures, with a focus on practical, innovative, and constructible solutions that improve project performance and value.

Donn Digamon

Donn Digamon has served as State Bridge Engineer with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) since 2014, providing leadership and technical expertise in bridge design, construction, management, and preservation. He is an active member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Bridges and Structures, including involvement with the Technical Committee on Construction, Bridge Asset Management, and Knowledge Management and Workforce Development. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Donn brings extensive experience and a strong commitment to advancing bridge-centric topics, discussions, and practices in Georgia and throughout the transportation industry.

Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer is a Professor of the Practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Following his retirement from the US Army in 2021, Fred joined the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering where he teaches courses in concrete design, timber and masonry design, and advises all structural engineering capstone design projects.  His research interests include lightweight concrete, high-strength concrete, and prestressed concrete. 

Lauren Stewart

Lauren Stewart is the Williams Family Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she also serves as Associate Chair for Graduate Programs and Director of the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory. She has been a member of the Georgia Tech faculty since 2013 and brings extensive expertise in structural engineering, materials, and experimental research. Dr. Stewart earned her Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and is actively involved in advancing structural engineering research and educating the next generation of engineers.

Questions

Marti Harrell, Georgia/Carolinas PCI Executive Director

marti.harrell@gcpci.org

For additional technical resources and a list of PCI Certified Producers, visit www.gcpci.org.