USU professor speaks out on bridge safety

WASHINGTON — Utah State University Professor Kevin Womack stressed Wednesday during a House hearing on bridge research and safety the need for investment in infrastructure.

The Minnesota bridge collapse last month has Congress paying closer attention to bridge safety. While the Federal Highway Administration said it is wrong to deem the country's transportation infrastructure "unsafe," Womack stressed that there needs to be an overall plan to help improve infrastructure.

"Successfully and efficiently addressing the nation's infrastructure issues, bridges and highways included, will require a long-term, comprehensive nationwide strategy — one that includes research and identifying potential financing methods and investment requirements," said Womack, chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers Transportation Policy Committee. "For the safety and security of our families, we, as a nation, can no longer afford to ignore this growing problem."

The House Committee on Science and Technology is in charge of federal research and development programs, and while it cannot fund projects, it has the power to authorize them.

Chairman Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., said the bridge collapse was a "wake-up call that we need to be doing more to strengthen and secure our bridges now and for the long term."

Womack said that 4 billion vehicles cross bridges every day, and "like all man-made structures, bridges deteriorate."

"Deferred maintenance accelerates deterioration, which may make bridges more susceptible to failure," said Womack, who also heads the Utah Transportation Center. "As with other critical infrastructure, a significant investment is essential to maintain the benefits and to assure the safety that society demands."

A main problem, Womack said later in an interview, is that there are "a lot more bridges that need to be repaired than there is money to do it."

Womack recommends developing a new bridge-inspection protocol, with visual inspections done by licensed professional engineers and not technicians, although he acknowledged there is a shortage of civil engineers right now.

Research into better-performing concrete, high-performance steel and other materials should also be funded.

"How bridges are designed, withstand extreme events, age, and how construction techniques and materials for bridges can improve should continue to be researched to look for more efficient practices," Womack said.