THE BRIDGE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

This paper reviews and summarises the programmes of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), relating to the management of highway structures in the USA. It emphasises the programme's history, funding, current issues, administration, and strategic research and development (R&D). The FHWA, formerly known as the Bureau of Public Roads, was founded in 1833, but it paid little attention to bridges, until a disastrous bridge failure in 1967, with 46 fatalities. In 1978, the US Congress began the Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program, which has grown ever since. At present, 9,690 of 127,736 bridges on National Highways are structurally deficient, and 23,330 are functionally obsolete. The FHWA administers its programmes in partnership with the US States, to each of which it makes grants. Though each State is free to develop its own procedures, the FHWA has worked with a group of them to develop and promote a standardised approach. The FHWA R&D activity on structures is currently being focused on: (1) bridge asset management, handling better bridge inspection, nondestructive evaluation, and bridge management systems; (2) high performance materials, especially steel and concrete; and (3) engineering applications, including design methods and technology, corrosion, hydraulics, geotechnology, and seismic issues. For the covering abstract see IRRD E103810.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0727727753
• Corporate Authors:

  Thomas Telford Limited

  London,   United Kingdom 
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 14-23
• Serial:
  • MANAGEMENT OF HIGHWAY STRUCTURES
  • Publisher: Thomas Telford Limited

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Administration; Bridges; Building materials; Design; Federal government; Financing; Highways; History; Maintenance; Organizations; Repairing; Research projects; Standards; Structures; Surveillance
• Geographic Terms: United States
• ITRD Terms: 155: Administration; 3455: Bridge; 9011: Design (overall design); 3355: Engineering structure; 244: Financing; 183: Government (national); 2755: Highway; 9096: History; 3847: Maintenance; 4555: Material (constr); 9057: Organization (association); 3635: Repair; 8557: Research project; 187: Specification (standard); 9101: Surveillance; 8122: USA
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; History; Maintenance and Preservation; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00782786
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-7277-2775-3
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Feb 7 2000 12:00AM