ECONOMICS OF LOW COST BRIDGES

FEATURES WHICH INFLUENCE THE USE OF CREOSOTED BRIDGES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ARE DISCUSSED. THE MAIN FACTORS ARE THAT: (1) TIMBER PRICES ARE ALMOST ON A COMPARABLE COMPETITIVE BASIS WITH STEEL AND REINFORCED CONCRETE, (2) CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ON THE TEXAS COAST ARE HARD ON CREOSOTED DOUGLAS FIR, HOWEVER, IT HAS BEN USED EXTENSIVELY IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE RATHER LARGE BRIDGES, (3) FIRE HAZARD MUST BE CONSIDERED IN TIMBER BRIDGES AND MOST STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS DO NOT HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO INSURE TIMBER STRUCTURES AGAINST DESTRUCTION BY FIRE, AND (4) RECONSTRUCTION AND TRAFFIC DETOUR COSTS MUST BE CONSIDERED IN USE OF A SEMI-PERMANENT MATERIAL SUCH AS TIMBER. THESE FACTORS MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN SECURING A COMPARISON IN COST OF A BRIDGE STRUCTURE OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF MATERIALS.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/11/11-019.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 11, Pt 1, P 127; part of Report of Committee on Highway Design: A Symposium on the Economics of Low Cost Highway Bridges. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Wickline, G G
• Publication Date: 1932

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Washington, D.C. December 10-11, 1931. Part I: Reports of Research Committees and Papers
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 11
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Bridges; Climate; Costs; Creosote; Detours; Economics; Fires; Hazards; Reconstruction; Timber
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Economics; Finance; Highways; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209266
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 1 1971 12:00AM