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Public Roads

Development of A Bridge Steel Database

The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) includes more than 475,000 bridges (excluding culverts) made of various materials, including concrete, wood, and steel.

South Carolina Trooper Is Top Inspector

Trooper Alonzo Hutto of the South Carolina State Transport Police was judged the top commercial vehicle inspector in the fourth annual international competition held in August 1996 in Columbus, Ohio.

Timber Bridges in The United States

Timber bridges represent approximately 7 percent of the 576,874 bridges listed in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). In addition, another 7.3 percent of the bridges in NBI are timber decks supported by steel stringers and are, therefore, classified as steel bridges.

Internet Watch

The following article introduces a new, regular feature in Public Roads. "Internet Watch" will track new and interesting developments in transportation resources on the Internet.

Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Piers: A Bridge From The Past to The Present

Stroll around the pastoral grounds at Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, Va., and eventually you'll stumble upon an odd-looking edifice whose construction would appear to have more in common with the mysterious Native American "mounds" found in these parts hundreds of years ago than the high-tech wizardry usually associated with the engineering work here.

Closing The Technology Gap

One of the most critical aspects of the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) encompasses the area known as research and technology (R&T).