ABCs of Prefab Bridge Elements

This article discusses the Federal Highway Administration’s Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) program. The ABC program emphasizes the use of innovative planning, design, materials and construction methods to reduce onsite construction time. One ABC strategy is to use prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES), which can reduce costs, construction time, environmental impacts, and traffic delays. A case study of a bridge replacement project in Rhode Island is highlighted to demonstrate the benefits of ABC.