The Bridge Construction Methods

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Table of Contents

Accelerated Bridge Construction
Conventional Bridge Construction
Bridge Failures and Construction Strategy
Budgeted Cost of Repairs
Works Cited

Bridge construction is a complex construction project that requires planning, implementation, and management. Contractors and government officials have been in an intense debate on better options for bridge construction, repairs, and maintenance. This paper evaluates the conventional and accelerated bridge construction methods based on cost, safety, and impact on public space. The prefabricated bridge component is a primary design of the accelerated bridge construction method (ABC) for new construction project, renovations, and replacement work (Alashari 50). PBES are structural elements manufactured off-site and transported to the project site for installation. These components include attributes that enable rapid construction and are fabricated with prime performance materials for strength, quality, and performance. Manufacturing off-site components permit contractors to operate at a steady state.

Accelerated Bridge Construction

Employee and Public Safety

A bridge construction project under hostile conditions is dangerous and complicated. For example, project activity on active highways creates traffic challenges for motorists and site workers. Site workers are forced to work under such conditions, and it affects the quality of work, productivity, and human safety. As a result, building workers are killed in work zones, making security a focus of transport agencies. Vehicular movement is influenced by the shift in the present transportation change and the consequences of on-site construction action (Jia et al, p. 7). Such development reduces work rate and efficiency among workers. Under the ABC methods, employee safety is guaranteed, and vehicular movements are unrestricted. Thus, the ABC method decreases the vulnerability of employees and drivers in dangerous situations. The most crucial method to enhance employee safety would be to eliminate traffic from on-site activities through a short-term diversion using ABC. Bridge constructions could bring significant consequences to utilities, road use, and the environment. ABC may be utilized to lessen work during sensitive allowable intervals.

Project Cost and Safety

Infrastructure projects such as bridge construction are expensive. However, the advantage of the finished project outweighs the expenditure. The fiscal costs of bridge constructions could be quantified by the cost of delivery and impact on economic growth. Under the ABC method, prefabricated components lower the project delivery time. By implication, the ABC technique reduces the financial cost to society (Accelerated Bridge Construction). The prefabrication process decreases the building cost through repeated use and a change of work environment from a dangerous work zone to a safe off-site location (Newnan et al, p. 350). Bridge construction jobs have a substantial effect on highway movement, delivery, and vehicular transport. Delays caused by building congestion and detours influence loss in earnings for road users. ABC can be deployed to mitigate such adverse impacts by reducing work time and improving road safety.

Conventional Bridge Construction

Under the conventional bridge construction method, the material strength is fortified with support beams to maintain a stable arrangement. Bridge structures are delivered on taxpayer’s money, and each deliverable should match the public interest. Therefore, bridge construction projects must be well-organized, economical, and aesthetic. Efficiency in construction focuses on strategies to achieve functionality while maintaining a cost-effective value of the project (Deshnur, p. 269). Bridge designers focus on exceptional designs because of technical, economic, and aesthetic pursuits. However, conventional bridge construction (CBC) is expensive when compared to the ABC strategy. Conventional bridge construction could be described as a joint-less bridge. The deck is constant and in monolithic relation to the support partition. The joints in most bridges raise the interest in joint-less beams and metal rods. Thus, conventional bridge construction is expensive in terms of maintenance, structure, and quality. The cost of installations prevents water seepage through the joints of metal beams. These bridges are safe for use and aesthetically pleasing because of the smooth and uninterrupted deck. CBC strategy prolongs work schedules, affects commuter movement, and logistics delivery. Such activities create traffic congestion, safety issues, and environmental risk to the community.

Bridge Failures and Construction Strategy

The primary causes of bridge collapse are not cluttered repairs or nonconformity from design criteria. Bridge failures result from extreme events where the support beams become weak to endure the burden of the strain. However, a bridge built with under specifications could still collapse. Contractors do not understand pressure-related stress and its impact on bridge integrity. This ignorance prevents policy-makers from enforcing engineering and project criteria that deal with exceptional ‘loadings’ because of climate and other natural events. In responding to a catastrophe, the contractor must integrate different variables to support quality repairs and effective decision-making process. Time, expenditure, quality, and security are cardinal elements in the preparation, building, and execution of bridge projects. When investors have the financial capability and skill to implement bridge rehabilitation jobs in vulnerable locations, the ABC method is the best choice. The decision-making process should incorporate a study of ADT, detours, emergency courses, and road user costs. Thus, in managing bridge failures, ABC offers a balanced strategy on price and public impact. The organization must use effective deployment tools for DOTs to determine the equilibrium and appropriateness of each technique. The public must be informed about the implications of poor repair strategy as it affects the environment. Conventions bridge construction affects street users by increasing travel time along the affected zone. Although road user impact cannot be removed, the challenges can be reduced to the minimum by applying controlled repair schedules. Taxpayer’s revenue funds bridge construction projects and the consequences of site diversions must be integrated into the planning procedure. The aim of the ABC is to lower the consequences of on-site construction activities, reduce on-site construction time, improve work safety, mitigate transport disruptions, improve quality, and life cycle expenses.

Budgeted Cost of Repairs

The assumptions state that bridge failures will occur in the year 25

Compounding interest rate = 5%

The cost of using the ABC method (Direct cost) = $75,000,000

The cost of using the ABC method (Indirect cost) = $100,000,000

The cost of using the conventional method (Direct cost) = $225,000,000

The cost of using the conventional method (Indirect cost) = $75,000,000

The total cost of using the ABC method if the bridge fails = 75,000,000 + 100,000,000 = $175, 000,000

The cost of using the conventional method if the bridge fails = $300. 000, 000

The probability of bridge failure (ABC) = 1/800

The probability of bridge failure (Conventional) = 1/500

Based on the cost of differential and the probability of bridge failure, the ABC method should be used for the repairs.

5/100 x 225,000, 000 = $ 8,750,000 for the first year

A compounding interest of 5% for 25 years = 8,750, 000 x 25 = 218,750,000

The principal amount = 175,000,000 + 218,750,000 = 393,750,000

The government should budget = $393,750,000

The ABC budget will cost = $393,750,000.

Works Cited

”Accelerated Bridge Construction: Building Better Bridges.” Bridge Masters, 2016. Web.
Alashari, Mishal. ”Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC), A Better Approach to Bridge Construction?” International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, vol. 4, no. 8, 2016, pp. 41-69.
Deshnur, Rahul. ”A Comparative study of Conventional RC Girder Bridge and Integral Bridge.” International Journal of Civil Engineering and Applications, vol. 6, no. 2, 2016, pp. 267-274.
Jia, Jianmin, et al. ”Multi-Criteria Evaluation Framework in Selection of Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) Method.” Sustainability Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-15.
Newnan, Donald, et al. Engineering Economic Analysis. Oxford University Press, 2017.

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