By Lorella Angelini, International Concrete Repair Institute
According to the National Bridge Inventory, there are more than 600,000 highway bridges in the United States. Most of these bridges (98%) are owned by state and local governments, whereas the remaining 2% are federally or privately owned. The average age of these bridges is 45 years with more than 30% exceeding their 50-year design life.
Over the next 15 years, almost half of the bridges in this country will exceed their design life and their need for repair, rehabilitation, or replacement will continue to increase. According to the National Bridge Inventory, more than 12% of bridges are currently classified as structurally deficient and another 13% are functionally obsolete and need upgrade or improvement.
To protect the safety of the traveling public, national investments, natural resources, and the environment, it is in our nation’s best interest to adopt and implement cost-effective bridge preservation strategies. In response to this need, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed the “Bridge Preservation Guide.” This publication provides common bridge-related definitions, commentaries, and examples that assist bridge owners in developing and implementing programs that can preserve and extend the service life of an existing bridge.
