DOT Management Actions to Enhance Bridge Durability/Longevity

Abstract

A consideration that frequently receives too little attention in bridge design is durability. Probably the most important decisions made regarding the future durability/longevity of a bridge are made at the very beginning of the design process. These are upper department of transportation (DOT) management decisions regarding bridge design life, geometric parameters (e.g., number of lanes, shoulders, underneath clearances), average daily traffic, average daily truck traffic, design truck loading, material requirements, policing of overweight truck policies, preventative maintenance programs, and others. Thirteen actions are recommended in this article for consideration by DOT managers to enhance the durability/longevity of highway bridges. The actions are quite specific and are discussed in detail. They address design life and load considerations, geometric parameters, design traffic volumes, material requirements, training programs, and preventative maintenance programs. Changes in all or a number of the areas recommended could have a very significant positive impact on future bridge durability/longevity.