Durability is Key to Reinforced Concrete Bridges

Some of the earliest surviving bridges date from around the second century BC. Typically, they were stone arches, a form that dominated bridge construction until the arrival of wrought iron and steel in the early 18th Century and, 150 years later, concrete.

It was in the 18th Century that bridge design began to develop into a science. Soon afterwards, attention switched to the invention of the steam locomotive that called for stronger bridges.

Just when the masonry arch bridge was reaching its peak around the beginning of the 20th Century, reinforced concrete arrived on the scene. Since then, it has become the major construction material for bridges as it has for most structural and civil engineering applications, with its intrinsic versatility, design flexibility and, above all, natural durability.

Design and construction techniques continue to evolve to satisfy the increasing demands of the transportation network.

 

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