North Carolina has the 2nd largest state-maintained highway system in the U.S., with more than 78,000 road miles, including 17,000 bridges. Despite a large inventory, the State's statistics for bridges over the last decade mimic the trend at the national level. Currently, about 31% of North Carolina bridges are considered deficient compared with 39% in 1992. The North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) goal aligns with the one stated in FHWA's 1998 Strategic Plan; namely, to decrease the percentage of deficient bridges to 25% by 2008. This article describes efforts by the NCDOT to further reduce the State's bridge maintenance backlog by improving durable design and by utilizing more innovative materials for bridge rehabilitation and extension of useful service life. Increasing use of composites, such as fiber-reinforced polymers, is a main area of focus.
Abstract