NONSTRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF COMPETING BRIDGE MATERIALS

Engineers are faced with choosing materials for bridges on a regular b asis. 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 o f materials will allow manufacturers to meet their needs better. Perce ptions 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, t imber, and reinforced concrete. Bridge materials were compared not onl y on perceived performance, but also on eight preselected attributes. Important factors in the bridge decision process were identified. Comp arisons were made by decisionmaking group and geographic region. Overa ll, prestressed concrete was rated highest in perceived performance, f ollowed by reinforced concrete, steel, and timber. Perceptional maps p rovide insight for those manufacturers wanting to improve their percei ved performance. Areas of future research for bridge materials were id entified.