For all classes of road or highway systems, reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges have a significantly lower rate of structural deficiency than steel bridges, according to a new Portland Cement Association (PCA) analysis. Material Usage and Condition of Existing Bridges in the U.S. reports that 72,749 of the U.S. bridges studied were structurally deficient. More than half of the deficient bridges were constructed with structural steel.
The document analyzes data on the condition of the four major bridge construction materials in the U.S.—reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete, structural steel and timber. Based on the 2006 National Bridge Inventory data from the Federal Highway Administration and excluding culverts, the report shows that of the 72,749 structurally deficient bridges in the U.S., 54.3% were constructed with structural steel. Only 23.8% were built with reinforced concrete and 6.7% with prestressed concrete.
Market share of the four major bridge construction materials in the U.S. also is analyzed in the report. Not only do concrete bridges have lower rates of deficiencies, but they make up an increasingly larger share of the bridge market.
The combined market share for reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges in the U.S. is close to 70% of bridges built since 1980, based on the number of bridges. This is a significant increase from the period 1950-1959, where the market share was approximately 44% based on the number of bridges.
“As our nation’s infrastructure needs investment of funds to repair and replace structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges, concrete’s competitive cost and durability are key considerations for building economical and long-lasting bridges,” Sue Lane, PCA’s program manager for bridges and other transportation structures, said.
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