Nonstructural Evaluation of Competing Bridge Materials

Engineers are faced with choosing materials for bridges on a regular basis. Yet, little is known of the nonstructural factors that influence their decision and what they believe is important in bridge-material selection. As new materials enter the market for bridge applications, a thorough understanding of a highway official's current perceptions of materials will allow manufacturers to meet their needs better. Perceptions of major bridge materials by three distinct groups of decision makers were investigated within five geographic regions of the United States. The materials compared included prestressed concrete, steel, timber, and reinforced concrete. Bridge materials were compared not only on perceived performance, but also on eight preselected attributes. Important factors in the bridge decision process were identified. Comparisons were made by decision-making group and geographic region. Overall, prestressed concrete was rated highest in perceived performance, followed by reinforced concrete, steel, and timber. Perceptional maps provide insight for those manufacturers wanting to improve their perceived performance. Areas of future research for bridge materials were identified.