Evaluation of accelerated bridge construction methods and designs in the state of Iowa

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is the general term given to a variety of approaches aimed at reducing construction durations of bridge projects. Using these approaches on bridge projects introduces a number of advantages including reduced traffic disruption and increased safety. This thesis is comprised of two papers that focus on a number of ABC projects completed in the state of Iowa in the last decade. The first paper highlights the construction aspects of these projects and gives an evaluation of the projects based on criteria related to rapid construction and gives a comparison of the project cost to non-ABC projects. A road user cost analysis is also presented to demonstrate the cost benefit of decreased traffic disruption. The paper closes with a collection of lessons learned from the projects and a look into the future of ABC technologies. The second paper focuses on the design of accelerated bridge projects and the progression of the bridge elements and connection details over time. The paper includes an evaluation of the design of these bridges.