Cost-competitive Timber Bridge Designs for Long Term Performance TR-691
The objective of this work is to develop a series of design, contracting and construction options and strategies for cost-competitive (initial and life cycle costs), sustainable timber bridges in Iowa that meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) HL-93 load requirements and Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) bridge design specifications. The project will incorporate standard plans for timber bridge superstructures that are currently under development by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service and perhaps others. These plans will be evaluated and modified for Iowa and when coupled with best inspection and maintenance procedures, provide new opportunities for constructing innovative, long-lasting and cost-competitive timber bridges. In addition, several bridge construction projects have been identified with partnering counties in Iowa that will use the developed plans, allowing the project team to assess and validate the true initial costs of construction, predict life cycle costs and complete a life cycle assessment for these bridges. Companies and timber manufacturers that are local to Iowa provide a valuable resource which is currently underutilized. Cost information from two under construction timber bridge projects in Buchanan County, IA, as well as from 1-2 other potential bridge construction projects with partnering counties in Iowa utilizing the developed plans, will allow the project team to assess and validate the true initial costs of construction, predict life cycle costs and complete a life cycle assessment for these bridges. In addition, life-cycle cost information from several timber bridge construction projects in Minnesota, which are part of a sister Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) research project that Iowa State University (ISU) is a part of, will also be referenced to increase the database for the project
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $85154.00
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Contract Numbers:
TR-691
ISU proposal 131798
Add 550
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Sponsor Organizations:
Iowa Department of Transportation
800 Lincoln Way
Ames, IA United States 50010 -
Project Managers:
Goetz, Vanessa
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Performing Organizations:
Bridge Engineering Center
2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4700
Ames, Iowa United States 50010-8664Iowa State University, Ames
Institute for Transportation
Ames, IA United States 50011-8664 -
Principal Investigators:
Phares, Brent
Hosteng, Travis
- Start Date: 20150701
- Expected Completion Date: 20180630
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- Source Data: RiP Project 40015
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bridge construction; Bridge design; Bridge superstructures; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle costing; Load and resistance factor design; Service life; Wooden bridges
- Geographic Terms: Iowa; Minnesota
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01569403
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Iowa Department of Transportation
- Contract Numbers: TR-691, ISU proposal 131798, Add 550
- Files: RIP, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Jul 11 2015 1:00AM