The Spring 2006 Issue of HPC Bridge Views Features:

• $16.5 million HPC Bridge Research and Deployment program authorized under the new highway bill, SAFETEA-LU.
• The Victory Bridge—New Jersey's first precast segmental concrete bridge with a record main span of 440 ft.
• An overview of NYSDOT's HPC specifications.
• Montana's efforts in developing cost-effective HPC with the use of local aggregates.
• The impact of fly ash on air entrainment in concrete.

Download the issue.
Past issues of HPC Bridge Views.

SPMTs Speed Construction on Florida Bridge

The new Graves Avenue bridge over I-4 in Volusia County, Fla., is the first bridge crossing a U.S. Interstate highway to use self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs). SPMTs can decrease the amount of time it takes to complete similar bridge construction projects.

The SPMTs are computer-controlled vehicles used to move and lift components of the petrochemical, offshore, power, and heavy civil markets including bridges. A replacement bridge can be built near its final location and then moved into place in hours with SPMTs. Engineers for the Florida Department of Transportation expect to save four months compared to typical bridge construction time.

In January 2006, the two old Graves Avenue bridge spans were lifted from their support piers by SPMTs and moved to the side of I-4, where the old bridge spans were demolished and the concrete was recycled. The two new bridge spans, nearly double in size, were built along side the interstate, instead of over the road. On June 4, the first span was installed over the westbound lanes of I-4. The second new span over the eastbound lanes was installed June 10. More.

Your Input May Win an iPod^®

To better serve the bridge design and construction market, the Portland Cement Association is undertaking a survey to evaluate the current attitudes and perceptions of professionals who influence decisions for bridge design and construction. The short on-line survey will take only a few minutes to complete. Your completed survey will enter you into a drawing for an iPod nano.

Click here to take the survey.

Prefabricated bridges offer significant advantages over onsite cast-in-place construction. Among these advantages are a substantial reduction in onsite time required to construct or rehabilitate a bridge, lower costs resulting from offsite manufacturing and standardized components, and improved safety due to reduced exposure time in the work zone. The controlled environment of offsite fabrication also ensures quality components for long-term performance.

But, how does one identify the right candidate for accelerated bridge construction through prefabrication? FHWA has developed a framework to help analyze each project and make an objective decision. More.

Concrete Bridge Conference Provides Industry Forum

More than 250 attendees representing 37 states and 8 countries attended the 2006 Concrete Bridge Conference held May 7-10, 2006 in Reno, Nevada.

Organized by PCA, the conference was also sponsored by the National Concrete Bridge Council, Federal Highway Administration, Nevada Department of Transportation, and the American Concrete Institute. It was held in conjunction with Post-Tensioning Institute's Conference. The exhibition featured 40 products and services booths. The conference also featured a bridge construction site visit, more than 100 presentations in 18 technical sessions, a special panel discussion on silica fume in concrete bridge decks, and an all-day workshop on rapid bridge construction.

Conference proceedings are available on a CD which is being offered for a special price of $15 for limited time. Click here for more information or to order.

Bridge Professors' Seminar

The 8th annual Bridge Professors' Seminar is scheduled for August 5-6, 2006 at PCA in Skokie, Ill. This seminar provides information on the latest concrete industry developments to university professors so that they can introduce new university courses or update existing ones in concrete design. More.

Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways

MCEER is organizing the Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges & Highways, to be held September 18-20, 2006 in San Francisco. This biennial workshop is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and focuses on the highway infrastructure. With the theme of “Innovations in Earthquake Engineering for Highway Structures,” the conference’s purpose is to increase awareness of seismic and geological hazards and to enhance the technical expertise of engineering professionals so they can mitigate the risk of failure or damage to our bridges and highways. More.