Institute for Transportation

VHS. Timber bridges have a vital role to play in America’s future. Considering the state of the nation’s bridges, where 35% of all bridges have been found to have structural or functional inadequacies, the development of modern timber bridge technology is timely. The availability of modern timber bridge technology has provided a vital alternative for highway engineers in rural areas where 81% of the nations bridges are located. Based on the current national bridge inventory, approximately 10% of highway bridges in the US are constructed of timber. The purpose of this video is to facilitate the use of modern timber bridge technology to improve the nation’s rural transportation network, to expand the range of markets for wood products, and to create innovation that leads to cost-saving strategies and improve performance of exiting designs.