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https://www.nationalacademies.org/trb/events

High Load Hit Prevention

Many department owned bridges are impacted with over height vehicles every year, however, there are many bridges that have been struck repeatedly. Bridges being repeatedly struck by over height vehicles leads to structural damage to department infrastructure as well as impedance to the traveled roadway(s). This damage can cause immediate lane or road closures while the damage is inspected and repaired, shortened service life of the structure, and potential bridge component or structure replacement. In order to address this problem, the department seeks to identify methods to locate and inform over height drivers prior to striking the structure in addition to detecting impacts. Not having these methods will allow over height vehicles to continue to damage department structures and for damage to go unreported. Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has interest in identifying which method(s) of over height vehicle impact prevention is best suitable for structures susceptible to damage. The department is expecting this research to yield the implementation of technology to reduce damage of bridges caused by over height vehicles impacts. Additionally, Michigan has dozens of bridges located within navigable waterways and following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, MDOT would like to evaluate the inherent risk of damage from vessel allision at those bridges with substructure units within the waterway.