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Helping Heal Oregon's Bridges

The Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) awarded OSU Civil Engineering researchers almost $1.6 million to help the state analyze the severity of cracks found in more than 500 of its bridges.

Researchers will develop modeling tools and data banks to forecast how the cracked bridges will perform over time. The cracks, detected during routine ODOT inspections, affect bridges on Oregon's interstate and state highways. "This is a very significant problem," says Christopher Higgins, assistant professor of Civil Engineering and principal investigator on the research project. "And it's complicated by the fact that the cracks were discovered only recently. ODOT is working very hard to address the problem, and we're pleased to be helping find a solution quickly."

Just last year, OSU built a state-of-the-art "strong floor" structural testing laboratory on campus, which enables researchers to carry out full-scale experimental tests and data analysis on structural elements, including four-foot-deep concrete bridge components.

"Without our new strong floor laboratory, ODOT would have gone out of state to conduct this research," says Higgins, an international leader in this research area. The strong floor cost approximately $160,000 to construct and is a good example of how investing in engineering education ultimately helps the people of Oregon, Higgins said.

The ODOT grant, in conjunction with the strong floor, will allow Higgins, a team of five graduate students and fellow OSU faculty members Solomon Yim, Tom Miller, and David Rosowsky to test bridge components to the failure point by applying forces, or the weight from vehicles moving across the bridge.

Note: This story appears in the college's 2003 Spring newsletter, "Engineer". Would you like to hear more? Then download the PDF and read the whole thing!