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The following manuals, guides, specifications, and forms are provided to help you do business with IDOT.
The Standard Specifications outline the general requirements and covenants applicable to all highway construction improvements as well as provisions relating to materials, equipment, and construction requirements for individual items of work on projects awarded by the department.
This Supplemental Specifications contain additions and revisions to the Standard Specifications. The Supplemental Specifications are considered part of and should always be used in conjunction with the Standard Specifications. This book is updated every year.
Hard copies of these books are not sold separately, but are included with the purchase of the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction. To order both books, please navigate to Manuals Sales.
Use the following with the 2016 Standard Specifications: (Adopted April 1, 2016)
Use the following with the 2012 Standard Specifications: (Adopted January 1, 2012)
For Airports please utilize the following Standard Specification for Construction of Airports:
The following are the reference materials when executing a consultant agreement for highway work.
The Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) shall publish and maintain a manual that establishes uniform policies and procedures for the location, design, and environmental evaluation of highway construction projects on the state highway system.
The purpose of this policy is to compile the policies and procedures that govern project location, design, and environmental evaluation into one comprehensive manual.
Part I: Administration and Procedures
Part II: Project Development
Part III: Environmental Procedures
Part IV: Roadway Design Elements
Part V: Highway Systems
Part VI: Other Highway design elements
Part VII: Plans and Contracts
Part VIII: Procedure Memoranda
Stay Connected
To receive updates related to the BDE Manual and BDE Procedure Memorandums through the free subscription service, click on the link below and send the blank email that pops up. (Do not add anything to the subject line or to the body of the email). Directions for unsubscribing are included with each email notification.
IDOT’s Office of Intermodal Project Implementation, via the Bureau of Freight Rail Management, shall publish and maintain guidance that establishes uniform policies and procedures for the planning, environmental review, design, and construction of rail projects identified as part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program.
CREATE Program Manuals
CREATE Program Flow Charts
These drawings and files are specific to individual IDOT districts, click here to view.
Illinois Construction Scheduling Expert System (ICSES) is a Windows-based software program used for planning and scheduling road construction projects. The program is designed to allow users to develop an engineer’s estimate of time required to complete road and bridge construction projects.
The ICSES user manual can also be downloaded here.
These drawings show the details of various construction items and are used in conjunction with the Standard Specifications. The applicable standards are referenced on the cover sheet of the plans. To view the current drawing files and PDF files please click here.
The Survey Manual contains material that is informational and instructional, and sets forth
guidelines and accepted practices to be used by IDOT personnel performing surveying work. To view the current Survey Manual, click here.
The values contained in the tables of this pamphlet provide the data necessary for either the design or the construction layout of the 128 types of transitional approaches to channelized intersections used by the Illinois Division of Highways. Click here to view.
If you are interested in becoming or working with an approved lab that performs material testing on behalf of IDOT please choose from the following: Cement, Concrete, Soils.
The following is a listing of pay item unit of measure to material code unit conversion factors in pay item order.
To view all qualified product lists click here.
IDOT’s Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) issues the BDE Special Provisions four times a year. They are inserted into contracts as they apply. Please navigate to the BDE Special Provisions webpage for a listing of these materials.
The Coded Pay Items are updated seven times each year. Each updated codebook corresponds with a regularly scheduled IDOT letting. If a special letting is held, the most recent update prior to the special letting should be used. Two years of information will be hosted on the website.
If you wish to view prior Coded Pay Items or have questions in regards to the Coded Pay Items, please contact Charlie Ragsdale at Charlie.Ragsdale@Illinois.gov.
If you have questions in regards to the Local Roads Coded Pay Items please contact Shawn Griffith at Shawn.Griffith@illinois.gov.
Navigate to the Erosion and Sediment Control webpage for more information in regards to methods to prevent soil and other pollutants from leaving the construction site.
Navigate to the Storm Water Management Plan webpage to view more information in regards to storm water runoff pollution.
Navigate to the Roadside Maintenance webpage to view detailed information about invasive species and prairie inventories along side our roadways.
The following are the reference materials for executing a consultant agreement for bridge and structural work.
Compliance materials are organized by specific scope of service, please click to expand the necessary portion.
Design Guides | Reference | Revised |
Bridge Scupper Placement | BM 2.3.6.1.8 | Nov. 2006 |
LRFD Deck Design | BM 3.2.1 | May 2019 |
LRFD Slab Bridge Design | BM 3.2.11 | May 2019 |
LRFD Composite Steel Beam Design (for Straight Bridges) | BM 3.3.4 | May 2019 |
LRFD Stud Shear Connector Design (for Straight Bridges) | BM 3.3.9 | May 2019 |
Camber Design | BM 3.3.12 | Nov. 2006 |
LRFD Bolted Splice Design | BM 3.3.21 | May 2019 |
LRFD PPC I-Beam and Bulb T-Beam Design | BM 3.4 | Apr. 2012 |
LRFD PPC Deck Beam Design | BM 3.5 | May 2019 |
Temporary Sheet Piling Design | BM 3.13.1 | Nov. 2009 |
Temporary Geotextile Retaining Wall Design | BM 3.13.2 | Nov. 2006 |
Cofferdam Seal Coat Design | BM 3.13.3 | Nov. 2006 |
Seismic Design | BM 3.15 | May 2008 |
Seismic Site Class Definition | AGMU Memo 09.1 | Jan.2009 |
Liquefaction Analysis Procedure | AGMU Memo 10.1 | Jan. 2010 |
Geotechnical Pile Design Procedure | AGMU Memo 10.2 | Aug. 2011 |
Shaft Overturning and Torsional Analysis | AGMU Memo 11.1 | Aug. 2011 |
LRFD Culvert Design Loads | CM 3.4 | May 2019 |
LRFD Culvert Flexure Design | CM 3.5 | May 2019 |
LRFD Culvert Shear Design | CM 3.5.12 | May 2019 |
Department Wide Geotechnical Engineers Organizational Chart and Staff Phone Numbers
Technical Manuals and Policy Memorandums
Subscribe Subscribe-dot-geotechnicalsubscriptionservice@lists.illinois.gov
Unsubscribe Unsubscribe-dot-geotechnicalsubscriptionservice@lists.illinois.gov
The Geotechnical Design Guides have been developed by the Bureau of Bridges and Structures' Foundations and Geotechnical Unit in an effort to document the calculations and proper use of the Geotechnical Spreadsheets.
Design Guides | Spreadsheets | Description | Revised |
Liquefaction Analysis | LIQUEFACTION | Calculates the Factor of Safety Against Liquefaction | November 2018 |
Axial Capacity of Drilled Shafts in Soft Shale | DRILLED SHAFT AXIAL CAPACITY - SHALE | Provides Drilled Shaft Factored Resistances in Soft Shale <100ksf for various diameters and depths as well as the top of shaft deformation under service loading. | May 2017 |
Axial Capacity of Drilled Shafts in Rock | DRILLED SHAFT AXIAL CAPACITY IN ROCK | Provides Drilled Shaft Factored Resistances in hard rock for various diameters and depths as well as the top of shaft deformation under loading. | October 2016 |
Existing Foundation Load Carrying Capacity | EXISTING PILE CAPACITY | Provides maximum pile capacity that can be assumed when checking to see if a substructure can be re-used. | August 2016 |
Temporary Sheet Piling Design Charts | TEMPORARY SHEET PILE DESIGN ANALYSIS | Provides a Simple but Conservative Procedure to Provide a Temporary Sheet Pile Design | May |
Cohesive Soil Settlement Estimate | COHESIVE SOIL SETTLEMENT ESTIMATE | Estimates Primary Settlement of Cohesive Layers using Moisture Content and Qu | December 2014 |
Integral Abutment Pile Selection | INTEGRAL ABUTMENT FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS | Determines the Feasibility of using an Integral Abutment Given Bridge Length, Skew and Soil Borings | October 2017 |
Permanent Sheet Pile Design Policy | SSP DIMENSIONS ALL-ILDOT (8) | Provides Sheet Pile Properties to determine (b/tmin)ε used to determine if local buckling will control the sheeting section modulus design. | November 2011 |
Brom's Overturning & Torsion Capacity of Short Single Shaft | BROM’S OVERTURNING & TORSIONAL SHAFT ANALYSIS | Provides the Shaft Foundation Depth Necessary to Resist the Overturning and Torsional Load from Traffic Signals, Sign Structures and Light Poles/Towers | August 2011 |
WSDOT PILE BEARING VERIFICATION | Provides Pile Inspectors Charts/Graphs to Determine the Nominal Driven Bearing Indicated by the WSDOT Dynamic Formula | February 2010 | |
Axial Geotechnical Resistance of Driven Piles | PILE CAPACITY AND LENGTH ESTIMATES | IDOT Static Method of Estimating Pile Length vs. Resistance | January 2010 |
LRFD Soil Site Class Definition | SEISMIC SITE CLASS | Provides a Bridges Seismic Site Class | January 2010 |
Cofferdam Seal Coat Design | COFFERDAM SEAL COAT DESIGN | Determines a Cofferdams Factor of Safety Against Hydrostatic Uplift | November 2006 |
Temporary Geotextile Wall Design | TEMPORARY GEOTEXTILE WALL ANALYSIS | Analyzes the Pullout Resistance and Stress in Geotextile Walls | November 2006 |
Click here to go to Bridge Management and Inspections
Please navigate to the Type Size and Location Drawings webpage to view a list of approved drawings.
Technical ManualsNavigate to the Prequalified Structural Systems page.
The IDOT Bureau of Bridges and Structures subscription service for consultants, local agencies, and other DOTs allows information about updates or additions to be sent out in a timely manner. Areas covered by this subscription will include Type, Size, and Location (TSL) drawings, Technical Manuals, Bridge CADD Support, Guide Bridge Special Provisions (GBSP) files, and All Bridge Designers (ABD) memos.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, click on the link below and send the blank email that pops up. (Do not add anything to the subject line or to the body of the email).
Subscribe: subscribe-dot-bridgesupport@lists.illinois.gov
Unsubscribe: unsubscribe-dot-bridgesupport@lists.illinois.gov
If you have questions or problems concerning the service please contact IDOT Bridge Support at: dot.bbs.comsuggest@illinois.gov
The IDOT Bureau of Bridges and Structures' National Bridge Inventory (NBI) subscription service for program managers and team leaders, and other persons involved in the bridge inspection program will allow information about updates or additions to be sent out in a timely manner. Areas covered by this subscription will include bridge inspection information, FHWA 23 Metrics, NHI and IDOT training courses, updates to Section 3 of the Structural Services Manual, and other bridge related web-pages.
When updates or changes are made, they can be viewed or downloaded from these pages. The subscription service will provide a means to notify end users of these changes in order for them to download the latest versions and keep files up-to-date.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, click on the link below and send the blank email that pops up. (Do not add anything to the subject line or to the body of the email).
Subscribe: subscribe-dot-nbi@lists.illinois.gov
Unsubscribe: unsubscribe-dot-nbi@lists.illinois.gov
If you have questions or problems concerning the service please contact the Bridge Management Unit at dot.bbs.bridgemgmt@illinois.gov
For your convenience a Contact Directory has been provided for questions regarding bridges and structures.
The IDOT CADD environment is downloaded as a self-extracting file and can only be used with MicroStation software. See Support section for download.
The following are the guidelines and rules for CADD project data:
IDOT suggests using Internet Explorer to view IDOT documents.
Below, you can download individual cell libraries
Bridge cell library contents
Culvert cell library contents
Sign structure cell library contents
IDOT's CADD configuration for Bentley’s CONNECTED Platform of software. All district offices are currently using OpenRoads Designer (ORD) 10.08.01.33 in limited production. There are various central office bureaus and nine district offices throughout Illinois. Consultants should contact the appropriate District Project Manager for project related information in conjunction to using ORD on any IDOT contract. Periodic updates will be posted on this page; we recommend you sign up for the CADD Support subscription service under "Stay Connected" to be notified of updates to the CADD downloads. Please review the documents and text files included in each folder for historical details or modifications to configuration.
IDOT's CADD configuration for PowerGEOPAK SS4 or MicroStation with GEOPAK Suite SS4. All district offices are currently using PowerGEOPAK version 08.11.09.878. There are various central office bureaus and nine district offices throughout Illinois. Consultants should contact the appropriate District Project Manager for project related information in conjunction to using MicroStation and GEOPAK on any IDOT contract. Periodic updates will be posted on this page; we recommend you sign up for the CADD Support subscription service under "Stay Connected" to be notified of updates to the CADD downloads. Please review the documents and text files included in each folder for historical details or modifications to configuration.
Summary of quantities spreadsheets with macros by letting.
IDOT ProjectWise WEB Client provides access to PWIDOT data source. If you do not have a login for ProjectWise, click here to register. For file upload or download instruction please click here. The version of ProjectWise Web Server that the department is currently running is documented to work with the following browsers:
On Windows:
• Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10 (desktop and metro) • Google Chrome (latest) • Mozilla Firefox 13.x (latest)
On iOS:
• Safari 5.2 (latest)
On Android:
• Google Chrome (latest)
* all supported Windows browsers are 32-bit only
* all supported browsers are expected to have the latest updates installed
* ActiveX is only available in IE 8, IE 9, and IE 10 desktop, therefore all other supported browsers will have limited Web Parts functionality
The IDOT CADD Support subscription service for consultants, local agencies, and other DOTs will allow information about updates or additions to be sent out in a more timely manner.
IDOT maintains separate web pages for both IDOT CADD Support, and Bridges and Structures CADD Support. When updates or changes are made to the CADD files they can be downloaded from these pages. The subscription service will provide a means to notify end users of these changes in order for them to download the latest versions and keep their IDOT CADD files up-to-date.
The service is an open list; therefore, end users need to register in order to receive electronic notification of changes and updates. A valid e-mail address and Internet access are required to register for the service.
You will NOT be notified of changes made to Highway Standards by subscribing to this service.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, click on the link below and send the blank email that pops up. (Do not add anything to the subject line or to the body of the email).Subscribe:subscribe-dot-caddstandardsdownloads@lists.illinois.gov
Unsubscribe:unsubscribe-dot-caddstandardsdownloads@lists.illinois.gov
Email your question(s) to IDOT CADD Support
Notice of Disclaimer: IDOT offers the files, documents, and applications from this web page on an “as is” basis. All warranties and representations of any kind with regard to any download file are disclaimed, including the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular use. Under no circumstance will IDOT or any of its employees be liable for any consequential, incidental, special or exemplary damages even if apprised of the likelihood of such damages occurring. IDOT does not warrant the files, applications or documents against deficiencies of any kind. The use of any of the documents, files or applications for work which is under contract with IDOT, does not relieve the consultant or contractor from any obligations assumed by the contract, or from complete and proper fulfillment of the terms of the contract, nor does it entitle the consultant or contractor to compensation for damages or loss which could be attributed to such use.
Illinois Department of Transportation
Hanley Building
2300 S. Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62764
(217) 782-7820 or TTY (866) 273-3681