Missouri S&T Researcher Leads $450,000 MoDOT Study to Improve Bridge Design

ROLLA, Mo. – A Missouri University of Science and Technology researcher is leading a $450,000 project funded by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to develop engineering guidance that could make prestressed concrete bridge girders more efficient to manufacture while maintaining their safety and long-term durability. 

 “Engineers want to make decisions based on data, and that’s what this project is all about,” says Dr. John J. Myers, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Missouri S&T and the university’s campus director for the Missouri Center for Transportation Innovation. “We want to better understand how certain bridge components perform so future bridge designs can be based on evidence rather than assumptions.”  

The research will focus on the reinforced end regions, known as anchorage zones, of prestressed NU girders, a type of concrete bridge beam commonly used on highways.  

During manufacturing, steel strands inside girders are stretched under high tension before concrete is poured around them. After the concrete hardens, that tension is transferred into the concrete, creating enormous forces at each end of the girder.

To help prevent cracking, additional reinforcing steel is placed in these end regions. This reinforcement can take the form of a prefabricated steel mesh, known as welded wire reinforcement, or more traditional deformed steel reinforcing bars, commonly known as rebar.  

Myers’ research team will evaluate how different reinforcement methods and anchorage-zone designs perform. They will study crack formation, reinforcement requirements and other factors that influence the long-term performance of prestressed concrete bridge girders.   

The research team includes members and project advisors from academia and industry, including the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Colorado-Denver, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Virginia Tech, HDR’s St. Louis office and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates’ Austin office.

“If the research shows we can safely refine these design requirements, it could make bridge girders easier and less costly to manufacture,” Myers says. “MoDOT could make future bridge design decisions with greater confidence and ensure transportation dollars are spent as efficiently as possible.”  

The study is scheduled to conclude in January 2028.  

To learn more about Missouri S&T’s civil, architectural and environmental engineering programs, visit care.mst.edu. 

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit  www.mst.edu.