Comprehensive guidance to select and design durable bridge systems and components that are both easier to inspect and better-suited to their environments.

Service Life Design for Bridges (R19A)

In the Field

State	Activity	Type	Contact
Hawaii	Implementation Assistance Program – Federal Lands Highway plans to implement this technology on three bridges on the Island of Kauai to deliver longer life structures to the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and to demonstrate how the process may be used on other bridges.	Lead Adopter	Victoria Peters Federal Lands Highway victoria.peters@dot.gov
Iowa	Implementation Assistance Program – The Iowa Department of Transportation is exploring the development of a systematic approach to design for service life and better long term bridge performance for a number of bridge replacement projects, with a goal of reduced future maintenance.	Lead Adopter	Ahmad Abu-Hawash DOT ahmad.abu-hawash@dot.iowa.gov
Oregon	Implementation Assistance Program – The Oregon Department of Transportation recognizes the need to preserve the assets that are in-service and is looking to reduce or prevent early age deck cracking that affect serviceability in the long term.	Lead Adopter	Bert Hartman DOT bert.h.hartman@odot.state.or.us
Pennsylvania	Implementation Assistance Program – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is incorporating key findings from their research into their design manuals and standards with the goals of ensuring that bridges perform at an appropriate level for 100 years.	Lead Adopter	Tom Macioce DOT tmacioce@pa.gov
Virginia	Implementation Assistance Program – The Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research is implementing processes and procedures to eliminate deterioration mechanisms of existing structures and improve the long term durability of new and rehabilitated structures.	Lead Adopter	Prasad Nallapaneni DOT Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research prasad.nallapaneni@vdot.virginia.gov

Challenge

Because of deterioration, individual bridge components and systems such as bearings, decks, joints, columns, and girders require frequent and costly inspections, maintenance, and repairs that are often difficult to conduct. These activities cause lane closures that create congestion and impact safety for road workers and motorists. Bridge engineers need improved design options so they can deliver bridges that are operational for 100 years or more.

Solution

The Service Life Design Guide for Bridges is a comprehensive reference document that complements AASHTO specifications and equips bridge engineers with the tools to develop specific solutions for given conditions and constraints. It represents a new approach to designing for service life that results in longer-lasting bridge components and systems that are both easier to inspect and better suited to their environments. The guide focuses on typical bridges with one or multiple spans and a maximum single span length of 300 feet. It addresses design, fabrication, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and replacement issues applicable to both new and existing bridges. It includes standard plans, model specifications for design and construction, and fault tree flow charts.

Benefits

The Service Life Design Guide for Bridges may be utilized to provide longer service life by design through durable and state-of-the-art materials, construction techniques, and utilization of emerging technologies that are ideally suited for the bridge. The guide addresses service life issues at the design stage; which is significantly less costly than taking maintenance and preservation actions while the bridge is in service. It also provides engineers with tools to select and design for longer-lasting bridge systems and subsystems for the appropriate environment.