Rapid Bridge Replacement – Learning from the USA

The IStructE Pai Lin Li Travel Award funded the author for an investigation into current practice precast concrete construction in the USA. The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) in the USA has invested heavily in research into precast concrete construction through its Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) programme. The FHWA’s research has had a focus on innovative techniques for joining structural precast concrete elements together.Grouted splice couplers and Ultra-High Performance Concrete are the two key enabling techniques that were investigated in this research. The replacement of 6 36m span bridges over Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania used these techniques and completed each bridge replacement in 40 days. This paper investigates the development of these techniques, the benefits they could have on the UK construction industry and what actions need to be taken to realise those benefits.