The aging highway bridge infrastructure in the United States must be continuously renewed while accommodating traffic flow, so new bridge systems are needed that allow components to be fabricated offsite and moved into place quickly. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study in Japan and Europe to identify prefabricated bridge elements and systems that minimize traffic disruption, improve work zone safety, and lower life-cycle costs. The U.S. delegation observed 10 technologies that it recommends for possible implementation in the United States. They include movement systems for transporting and installing prefabricated bridge components, such as self-propelled modular transporters. They also include superstructure systems that save time by eliminating the need to place and remove deck formwork. The scanning team also learned about innovative deck and substructure systems that reduce construction time, including the Japanese SPER system of rapid construction of bridge piers. The team's recommendations for U.S. action include seeking demonstration projects on technologies it observed.
The prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES) cost study documents the details related to savings in time and money on nine PBES projects in st...
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