Our nation’s bridges are nearing their end of service life and there isn’t enough money to replace them when they become unsafe! In 2011, Transportation for America reported 11½ % of the nation's bridges, more than 69,000, are now ‘structurally deficient.’ Clearly, A&O’s focus is set on keeping our communities’ bridges in better condition, through maintenance and repairs, in order to extend the service life of bridges by up to 25 to 50 years.
With routine inspections, detailed assessments, and non-destructive testing, A&O is able to discern existing conditions that contribute to accelerated deterioration, and prioritize maintenance and repairs to maximize the life of each bridge, whether from leaking joints or chloride penetration that leads to active corrosion.
Bridge preservation design may include deteriorated concrete repairs, bearing replacements, structural steel repairs, bridge superstructure jacking, deck surface repairs, bridge joint replacements, pile repairs or replacements and concrete sealers or overlays. All preservation methods are evaluated with regard to life cycle cost and replacement cost so that ultimate replacement of the structure may be planned.