The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released a manual that presents timber maintenance and repair options that are designed to be simple and affordable. Read the Manual
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has released a report that examines the current conditions of the nation’s bridges, as well as changes in bridge conditions that have occurred over the last 10 years. Read the Report
AASHTO Journal, 11 December 2015 The Connecticut Department of Transportation will use an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, to “perform limited visual bridge inspection tasks” this month of its mile-long Gold Star Memorial Bridges on Interstate 95. The announcement said this was part of “CTDOT’s ongoing mission to improve and evaluate its operations and to assess the usefulness and…
AASHTO Journal, 11 December 2015 The new Abraham Lincoln Bridge between Louisville, Ky., and Jeffersonville, Ind., opened to traffic late on Dec. 6, a key part of a multibillion-dollar set of construction projects to remake and expand the Ohio River crossings. The new cable-stayed bridge with tall cable towers now carries three lanes of northbound traffic on Interstate 65….
AASHTO Journal, 11 December 2015 Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer joined state and local officials in Nashville Dec. 4 to celebrate the end – seven months ahead of schedule – of a major project to replace eight downtown bridges along Interstate 40. The project included the removal and replacement of four twin bridges along I-40. Built in…
AASHTO Journal, 4 December 2015 A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office finds that while states have been reducing the number of problem bridges on the roadway network, one in four bridges is deficient in some way. “Nearly 25 percent of all bridges are deficient,” the GAO said, “with 10 percent categorized as structurally deficient and…
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) latest Impacts on Practice explores a report that helped close the gaps between hydraulic predictions and the field experience of structural engineers by using a risk-based methodology. NCHRP Report 761: Reference Guide for Applying Risk and Reliability-Based Approaches for Bridge Scour Prediction, is now an important tool for bridge engineers to…
Better Roads, 20 October 2015 Chris Hill Rutgers University has created an outdoor lab that can simulate extreme stress conditions for bridges in an accelerated environment that will allow researchers to examine 10 to 15 years of effects in less than a year and in real time. The Bridge Evaluation and Structural Testing (BEAST) laboratory, which is part of…
AASHTO Journal, 30 October 2015 The TRIP infrastructure research group reported Oct. 28 that 15 percent of Maine’s roadway bridges are structurally deficient and in need of repair or replacement, just days before state voters will decide on an $85 million transportation bond proposal. TRIP said the structurally deficient rating “means there is significant deterioration of the bridge supports…
The World Road Association has released a report that describes results of an international survey in which countries were asked about the extent to which degradation problems affects different elements of their bridge structures, and select countries’ standard repair methods. This report is available for no fee after logging onto the site. Read the Report
The Iowa Department of Transportation has released a report that focuses on developing a framework for making asset management decisions on low-volume bridges in agricultural counties. Read the Report
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 816: Guide for the Preservation of Highway Tunnel Systems provides guidance on making informed decisions using an asset management process to support prioritization of highway tunnel preservation actions. The guide explains how executives can incorporate and communicate capital funding needs for tunnel improvements as part of their overall transportation system…
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has released a request for proposals to develop guidelines to better implement the use of 0.7-in. diameter strands for precast prestressed girders for various bridge span lengths. Proposals are due on January 5, 2016. Read the RFP
AASHTO Journal, 23 October 2015 The software unit of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is launching a major modernization project to develop the next generation of its AASHTOWare “Bridge Design and Rating System” or BrDR. That $14.8 million effort will run from second-quarter 2016 through 2020, and be the first major redesign of that BrDR…
The Institute for Transportation at Iowa State University has released a report that outlines the use of social return on investment to gauge the socioeconomic impact of structurally deficient bridges in order to prioritize funding. Read the Report
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) program Report 158: The Stress State Identification of Critical Bridge Components Using Nonlinear Acoustics has released a report that examines the application of a nonlinear acoustics-based technique for identifying the stress state of critical highway bridge components through laboratory-scale and field testing. Read the Report E-Newsletter…
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) program Report 164: Laser Spectroscopy for Rapid Profiling of Steel Bridge Coating, Corrosion, and Heavy Metals has released a report that explores the development of laser-scanning technology that could provide direct measurement of the condition of bridge surfaces and undercoatings. The technology could assess the level…
AASHTO Journal, 16 October 2015 AASHTO’s new “BATIC Institute” – an educational office designed to help state departments of transportation and other industry participants consider options to finance their infrastructure projects – is taking registrations for its inaugural webinar on Nov. 4 about the Pennsylvania DOTs Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. The Institute, which will offer both online and in-person…
The Institute for Transportation at Iowa State University has released a report that investigates the Iowa Department of Transportation’s policy regarding the required amount of negative moment reinforcement that is necessary to provide the continuity over bridge decks. Read the Report
The Montana Department of Transportation has released a report that describes a static load test that was carried out on a new bridge by using Osterberg load cell technologies and procedures. This is a large file and may take a few minutes to load. Read the Report
TRB’s Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2522 consists of 15 papers that explores bridges and structures, including: Full-Scale Implementation and Testing of Full-Depth Precast Bridge Deck Panels Mitigating Fatigue in Cantilevered Overhead Sign Structures Full-Scale Testing and Performance Evaluation of Rockfall Concrete Barriers Simple Approach to Calculate Displacements and Rotations in Integral Abutment…
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has issued a request for proposals to develop a proposed AASHTO guide specification for service life design of highway bridges and develop case studies to demonstrate the specification’s application. Proposals are due November 19, 2015. Read the RFP
Better Roads, 07 October 2015 Bobby Atkinson The completion of the $1.3 billion Bayonne Bridge “Raise the Roadway” project has been pushed back two years, with the renovated bridge now expected to be complete in 2019. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced October 1 that the delay in construction would mean the larger “post-Panamax” ships won’t be able…
Better Roads, 05 October 2015 Bobby Atkinson Drones could become the primary method for bridge inspections for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The department has been impressed by the initial tests run with the technology and are planning to push its capabilities further with a second phase of testing next month. According to Minnesota Public Radio, MnDOT is getting ready…
Better Roads, 29 September 2015 Wayne Grayson Wayne Grayson| September 29, 2015 |
Better Roads, 02 October 2015 Chris Hill The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LDOTD), Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are working together on a historic bridge management program to aid in preservation efforts for the structures. The “Programmatic Agreement” was “executed” October 1 and will last 20 years. It sets up planning…
PIARC Newsletter No. 55 is now available. Access the Internet Version
Better Roads, 18 September 2015 Bobby Atkinson More durable and longer bridge girders could spell cheaper construction costs among other benefits, and a few engineering researchers at the University of Alabama are trying to make that a reality. According to a UA news release, researchers are testing longer, stronger giant concrete bridge girders in a lab at the University…
Better Roads, 25 September 2015 Chris Hill The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is painting a grim picture of the economic impact on the state with current bridge funding and maintenance programs, estimating $94 billion in lost production value and a loss of 100,000 jobs over a 20-year period. The department’s 2015 Bridge Condition Report provides an overview of…
Better Roads, 25 September 2015 Tom Kuennen The need for speed in construction is driving much of the bridge design in this country. The burden to accomplish faster bridge construction, however, falls on heavy contractors, who must work tougher schedules and longer workdays while they solve site organization, demolition, and foundation and superstructure erection puzzles not taught in college….
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