OppOrtunities in CritiCal Bridge renOvatiOn prOjeCts in the u.s.

Consisting of more than 600,000 bridges, the U.S. bridge infrastructure is aging and in need of repairs – around 1 in 9 bridges are rated structurally deficient. The average age for bridges in the U.S. is 43 years with the designed life span planned for 50 years. Many bridges are over 65 years old, which means that safety concerns are growing. At the same time, increasing population, congestion and traffic put more and more pressure on infrastructure.

Federal, state, and local bridge investments are not keeping pace with the growing costs of aging bridges. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that the cost to repair or replace only the deficient bridges eligible under the Federal Highway Bridge Program is almost $76 billion. The total investment needed to address all bridges - not just the eligible deficient bridges – is USD 121 billion. USD 20.5 billion annually is needed to eliminate the deficient bridge backlog by 2028. Current spending is only USD 12.8 billion – a shortfall of USD 8 billion per year.

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Often, replacement of the old bridges is not an option because of the capital costs. Shutting down these bridges to replace them would significantly disrupt traffic. The best choice is to monitor the development of issues that could compromise the integrity of the bridge and upgrade where feasible.

Opportunities for Finnish companies exist especially in the following areas• Structural Health Monitoring Systems are starting to be used more often. Currently, bridges are inspected visually about once every two years. The problems with this method are its expensiveness and subjectivity. Also the need for monitoring can be more frequent as the breakdown can happen faster.• Sensors for monitoring strain gauge, vibration, acoustics, temperature and corrosivity are needed.• Wireless monitoring systems that collect, transmit and analyze the data triggering an alarm when something has changed are needed.

• Ground penetrating radar is being used to analyze bridge decks.• Coatings that would prevent corrosion are needed. Road salt has contributed to the corrosion of steel and concrete bridges.• Fiber reinforced polymers are used at smaller bridge constructions but the cost is prohibiting large-scale usage. • Specialized machinery for building and repairing bridges in problematic areas and situations.

Would you like to discuss this business opportunity further?Could growth for your company come from the US? Finpro has long experience of the US markets and extensive local knowhow. Our experts have wide-ranging contact networks and can help you in issues related bridge renovation projects. To seize these business opportunities, contact us for further information

Kimmo Aura Area Sales Manager kimmo.aura(a)finpro.fi+358 40 5048 317

Leonard La Vardera Senior Consultant leonard.lavardera(a)finpro.fi+1 203 524 2050