THE BRIDGE OF THE FUTURE : FHWA OUTLINES A RESEARCH `STRATEGY FOR BUILDING HIGH-PERFORMANCE BRIDGES

This article is the second in a three-part series on the Bridge of the Future, a research and technology strategy to develop a new generation of cost-effective, high-performance, and low-maintenance bridges. With bridges vulnerable to deterioration of the substructure, stringer ends and bridge deck, there is a high demand for a continuous renewal of the nation's bridge stock. Trends drawn from the National Bridge Inventory database reveal a 19% increase in main span length, an overall length of structure increase of 15%, and a 13% increase in deck width. Reasons for these increases include the desire to gain the maximum economy of scale for existing materials, the use of new high- performance concrete for increasing span strength, and higher traffic volumes along with increasing safety concerns. Specific performance goals intended to help direct the research initiative for the Bridge of the Future are discussed. The article mentions a new strategic plan by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) which focuses on researching a few standard bridge types, simple spans of less than 100 ft and bridge systems which incorporate standardization and thus can be manufactured in significant numbers. The article concludes by discussing how a new Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment (IBRD) program will broaden its focus by including new structural systems and technologies for strengthening, rehabilitating, repairing, maintaining, and preserving bridge infrastructure.