Institute for Transportation

This project will focus on identifying innovations that allow for constructing long-lasting and low-cost timber bridges. The project team will develop construction options and strategies for cost-competitive/advantageous, sustainable timber bridge superstructures. Once developed, the project team will work with Minnesota county and state bridge engineers to identify potential projects that can be used to validate the cost-competitive and sustainable nature of the bridges. The scope of work for the project will include: 1) completion of a literature review, commercial product review, and engineer survey related to cost-competitive timber bridge materials and systems, life-cycle costs, and environmental impacts, 2) creation of standard superstructure options for Minnesota that are cost-competitive and sustainable, 3) identification of potential construction projects and county partners to demonstrate and validate cost-competitive timber bridges, and 4) development of task and final reports. Project outreach will occur during the project through engagement with the Minnesota County Engineers Association (MCEA), MnDOT (Bridges and Structures, Communication), the development of a presentation for MCEA and a webinar and by placing the information into the web portal of the National Center for Wood Transportation Structures, hosted by Iowa State University (subcontractor).