Accelerated techniques for bridge construction should be used where the benefits have a positive effect on the construction costs and impacts of the project. At this time, the bridge specific costs on small accelerated construction projects are more than conventional construction, however it is anticipated that costs will come down as more accelerated projects are let. The savings in accelerated construction projects are found in other aspects of the total project such as time, equipment use and labour savings. Decisions to use accelerated bridge construction techniques should be made after considering the following factors: •Temporary Roadways and Bridges •Reductions in Environmental Impacts •User Costs •Political Pressures •Long Detours This paper summarizes the manual Guidelines for Accelerated Bridge Construction Using Precast/Prestressed Concrete Components (1) which was developed in 2006, by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Northeast’s Bridge Technical Committee. The manual promotes a greater degree of uniformity among owners, engineers and industry with respect to planning, designing, fabricating and constructing prefabricated concrete highway bridges. The manual encompasses the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) philosophy of accelerated bridge construction (2) and can easily be adopted by Canadian practitioners.
