October 2014

Though a good bridge can decrease congestion and speed traffic in the long run, the construction of bridges can cause traffic delays—leading to long waits, wasted fuel, unhappy commuters, and possible safety risks to the travelling public. As a result, finding ways to accelerate bridge construction is eagerly sought after by transportation agencies. Prefabricated bridge bents are widely used in non-earthquake-prone areas to reduce construction time and increase both worker and traveler safety; but in high-seismic areas, such as Washington and California, such construction is not robust enough to justify its deployment.