Laying the Groundwork for Fast Bridge Construction

摘要

In February 2003, more than 200 bridge professionals viewed successful projects at the National Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems Conference cosponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The presenters shared visions of bridges built in hours or days as opposed to months or years. Bridge engineers from 35 States and representatives from AASHTO and FHWA, professional associations, contractors, suppliers, and academia listened as the speakers described projects that met the need of State transportation agencies to "Get In, Get Out, and Stay Out." The Nation's bridges have a median age of 40 years, and today many structures need reconstruction. But increased traffic and urban congestion demand outside-the-box thinking to accelerate construction. In 2001 the AASHTO Technology Implementation Group, known as the TIG, chose prefabricated bridge elements and systems as one of the innovative technologies that promises the highest payoff. (Others include accelerated construction and intelligent traffic systems in work zones.) To encourage implementation of bridge prefebrication, the AASHTO group sponsors workshops, provides speakers for related conferences and other meetings, and publishes a Web site (www.aashtotig .org) that includes information on a number of prefabricated bridge projects that have been constructed to date.