# AASHTO Changes



## indeng (Jan 23, 2010)

I have the 3rd Edition AASHTO with all applicable revisions.

NCEES released the code requirements and the 4th Edition is the new requirement. If you click the link at the bottom of the code page, it takes you to the AASHTO Bookstore which leads you to a "LRFD-PE" code. It says its incomplete but is all you need. Its 200 bucks. Does anyone have this and what makes it different then the regular 4th Edition.

What are peoples thoughts of me just bringing the 3rd edition?


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## MA_PE (Jan 23, 2010)

There are substantial changes between the 3rd and 4th editions, too numerous to list. The current fourth edition is about 4 inches thick.

I have not seen this "PE" edition however, if they are selling one that says it's all you need for the PE test then it sounds like a good deal to me on two fronts. 1) you will have the code that the test is based on, and I'd wager it's substantially smaller than the full 4th edition and you won't have to try to figure out what sections might be on the test and what sections won't be.


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## indeng (Jan 23, 2010)

Thanks.

To be honest, I have the 4th edition (work does anyways) and the 3rd edition. The thickness of both editions are pretty close. The problem is I've spent the last few months reviewing the 3rd edition and I dont really want to go back and read all of the 4th edition now. I guess just flipping through the pages would be a decent review anyways. Plus I have all the tabs and notes in place for the 3rd edition, wheres I guess I can just transfer them all over.

I was hoping the LRFD-PE code maybe is only like Chapters 1 - 6, where I can just focus on those pages. ya know?

Seems like a good time to switch codes would have been next year with the new format, but oh well.


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## spatrum (Jan 23, 2010)

I just bought the AASHTO Specs PE edition yesterday. I should get it in a couple weeks. I will leave some feedbacks after reviewing it.


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## Hromis1 (Jan 23, 2010)

Well Crud, I would have missed that code change. Thanks for the heads up on that. Here goes another $200 bucks down the drain.


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## indeng (Jan 24, 2010)

spatrum said:


> I just bought the AASHTO Specs PE edition yesterday. I should get it in a couple weeks. I will leave some feedbacks after reviewing it.



Thanks!


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## spatrum (Jan 29, 2010)

I received the 16 lb monster on Wed (they said it will take a couple of weeks, but it arrived in three days). I did not have time to go through it. Perhaps this weekend I will begin to read it, and change some text based on the errata that was included. I have never seen any other edition, therefore it is difficult for me to compare 3rd vs. 4th and PE vs. the full edition. I'll be glad to answer questions (on PE edition) if anyone has any. I am no expert in bridge design (not even close).


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## spatrum (Feb 2, 2010)

The PE edition I got IS the regular 4th edition with 2008 Interim revisions. It's imcomplete only because it doesn't not have the 2009 interim revisions, which is not required for the PE test in April. It comes with all the chapters. This package does come with the CD-Rom, which the website did not state.

Just by looking at the 652 pages in 2008 interim revision itself, I'd say the 4th edition is a major change compare to the 3rd edition. When you click into each item on AASHTO's bookstore website, you can view the table of content or the changes in a pdf format.

It says 2007 edition has changes in chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 14. I hope this helps.



indeng said:


> I have the 3rd Edition AASHTO with all applicable revisions.
> NCEES released the code requirements and the 4th Edition is the new requirement. If you click the link at the bottom of the code page, it takes you to the AASHTO Bookstore which leads you to a "LRFD-PE" code. It says its incomplete but is all you need. Its 200 bucks. Does anyone have this and what makes it different then the regular 4th Edition.
> 
> What are peoples thoughts of me just bringing the 3rd edition?


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## Paul S (Feb 3, 2010)

I have yet to crack them open but, I have the 3rd and 4th edition, both special PE editions. So just an observation, but the 3rd edition has 3.25" of paper, and the 4th has 5.25" of paper.


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## DAVE9999 (Feb 10, 2010)

Paul S said:


> I have yet to crack them open but, I have the 3rd and 4th edition, both special PE editions. So just an observation, but the 3rd edition has 3.25" of paper, and the 4th has 5.25" of paper.


For the April SEI, you need the AASHTO 2007 with 2008 revisions.

Would I be at a disadvantage if I get the latest edition with 2008 *&amp; 2009* revisions?


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## Hromis1 (Feb 15, 2010)

Started going through this latest book this weekend. Just an observation here. It appears a lot of the changes are EQ related. Some just copying tables from other sources such as ASCE-7. Most basics "appear" similiar.....but you never know. And I am diffenately not an expert on bridges.

Book is so large as to be nearly usless at times. It should be broken up into two volumes. Around 5 inches thick with the binder. It took me nearly an hour to insert all the revision pages.


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## deviationz (Feb 15, 2010)

One other change I noticed is that the effective width is now different. A simple tributary width is used for calculating the effective width.

I will try to post the changes that I find and would appreciate if you guys do the same too.


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## spatrum (Feb 19, 2010)

I don't have the AASHTO 3rd ed to compare to, but I'm looking at SERM 4th ed (pg 8-44), I find that S (site coefficient) is not in the new AASHTO anymore.

The equation to obtain Csm (the elastic seismic response coeff) is completely different. Looks like the new AASHTO has finally adapted the spectral response acceleration method.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.


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## Hromis1 (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks guys, keep it up...I am just starting back on the Aashto crud. As I was assembling the book I had noticed some of what you are writing about. I also saw a large section on computing the effective widths of various bridge types. I am afraid that the SERM maybe no good for this exam setting. It maybe okay as a quick reference for basic concepts, but no longer good for calculations....Correct me if I am wrong on this.. I will also try to add things as I come across them. This is a huge help.


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