ABSTRACT
Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods such as prefabricated bridge elements and systems (PBES), slide-in bridge construction (SIBC), and self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) moves are designed to reduce mobility impact time. In Michigan, USA, four bridges were replaced using SIBC, also described as the lateral slide. The Michigan projects, a large volume of lateral slide project documentation in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) repository, and resources available through state departments of transportation (DOTs) were reviewed and the successes, difficulties, and activities were documented and analyzed. Additionally, instrumentation and monitoring as well as refined finite element (FE) simulations of two slides completed in Michigan were performed to calculate structural effects of the slide and investigate the sources and effect of the difficulties. Design procedures, considerations, and limitations were formulated based on the findings from the completed projects and from FE simulation results. The final product of this work described in this article is a step-by-step process to standardize bridge slide activities and designs.
