Innovative Jointless Bridge Design Reduces Maintenance Costs and Improves Safety.
The engineers redesigned a bridge in Minnesota to eliminate maintenance-intensive expansion joints, using a jointless design with integral abutments. By tying approach panels to the deck slab and providing a joint between concrete panels and the road, they aimed to reduce maintenance costs. After eight years of service, inspections showed the bridge successfully achieved its goal of lower maintenance needs. This innovative approach has not been widely used in Minnesota, making this bridge a unique example of evolutionary engineering in action.