Nonexplosive Deconstruction of Steel Girder Highway Bridges

Abstract

While the transportation system of the United States rapidly ages and expands, there is increasing demand for the demolition, replacement, modification, or rehabilitation of existing bridges; all of these actions require some degree of engineered deconstruction. In a 2013 report on American infrastructure a large number of bridges surveyed were reported to be structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and many of the existing bridges have exceeded their 50-year design life. Although highway bridges have been deconstructed around the world for generations, there are few publications on the structural engineering aspects of the deconstruction process. This paper aims to shed light on the general nonexplosive deconstruction process by presenting aspects of a three-span continuous steel girder highway bridge example. General sequence, equipment, methods, economy, and engineering are discussed. The authors also focus on the role of structural engineers, as they can be a key factor in safe and economical deconstruction.