A New Look at Modern Timber Bridges

Bridge owners often view timber bridges with suspicion. Can a timber bridge carry the required highway design loading? Will a timber bridge last 75 years? Are there crash-tested rail systems available? Can a durable wear surface be installed on a timber deck? Is the preservative treatment environmentally safe? These are some of the concerns raised when considering a timber bridge option. The timber industry has addressed each of these concerns and today’s timber bridges are performing exceptionally well. This paper discusses each of these items and explains how Modern Timber Bridges meet and exceed the expectations of today’s bridge owners.