Decades of exposure to traffic and the elements have left almost one-third of the Nation’s 582,000 bridges structurally or functionally deficient. Although these bridges are not necessarily unsafe, they are often inadequate for carrying the high traffic volumes and heavy traffic loads common on today’s highways. Many of these bridges will soon require extensive repair or even replacement, taking a big bite out of the $3.2 billion highway agencies spend each year on bridge construction and maintenance.

To prevent such problems, highway agencies need to build bridges that are better able to hold up to traffic and environmental demands. These bridges must also be economical to build and maintain. High-performance concrete (HPC), which is concrete that has been designed to be more durable, and, if necessary, stronger than conventional concrete, can help highway agencies achieve these goals.

From 1995-2000, the members of the Lead States Team for HPC worked to make the use of concrete mixes with improved strength and durability standard practice for concrete bridges and pavements. The team encouraged all States to have at least one HPC bridge project under way by the year 2000.

In September 2000, the Team transfered its responsibilities to the Subcommittee on Structures of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The Team prepared a Transition Plan detailing the results of their work and recommendations for the future.

The AASHTO Subcommittee on Structures will pick up where the Lead States team left off. Activities remaining include:

• revising the test methods and specifications to fully implement HPC and eliminate barriers to the use of HPC,
• implementing life-cycle cost analysis for bridges,
• updating the HPC bridge definition and developing an HPC pavement definition,
• assisting in the development of a generic HPC workshop, and
• maintaining the HPC Web site.