Geosynthetic reinforcement in bridge building

Iowa celebrates local bridge opening

A ceremony in Iowa celebrated the opening of the Catt Bridge in Buchanan County. The new bridge features a glued laminated timber—or glulam—superstructure supported on a geosynthetic-reinforced soil abutment. The U.S. Forest Service and Iowa State University’s Institute for Transportation developed the innovative design and Buchanan County work crews built the bridge. The Federal Highway Administration provided technical assistance on design and construction.

Accelerated bridge construction saves time in Rhode Island

Accelerated bridge construction, including geosynthetic-reinforced soil/integrated bridge system technology, enabled the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to save motorists a year of traffic delays on projects to replace two bridges in East Providence. One bridge was replaced during an 83-hour road closure September 9 and 13, 2016. The other bridge replacement was even faster, with the shutdown lasting 65 hours from September 23 to 26. RIDOT plans to use accelerated bridge construction on 75 bridge repair projects by 2025.

Source: FHWA Innovator, January/February 2017