Accelerated bridge construction in Washington State: From research to practice

The Federal Highway Administration is actively promoting Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) as part of the “Every Day Counts” initiative, in an effort to reduce bridge construction time while improving work-zone safety and minimizing environmental impacts. The “Every Day Counts” initiative promotes Highways for LIFE (HfL) projects, allowing states to implement new and innovative technologies for better performance of prefabricated bridge elements in seismic zones. Prefabricated bridge components are in increasing demand for accelerated bridge construction. Precasting eliminates the need for forming, casting, and curing of concrete on site, making bridge construction safer while improving quality and durability. This paper describes the development and implementation of a precast concrete bridge bent system suitable for ABC in high seismic zones, such as western Washington State. At the base of the bent, the column is connected to a spread footing using a socket connection, while at the top the column is joined to the cap beam using bars grouted in ducts. In both cases the connection was verified by testing before the system was implemented on site by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT has been aggressively pursuing ABC, and this bridge bent system forms part of that effort.