Tag: Structural Design

How Much Weight is Too Much for a Bridge? Engineers’ Ratings Have the Answer

In mid-May of 2018 a driver crossing a bridge in the Town of Lafayette in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, noticed something was wrong with the bridge. Town officials quickly saw the problem – the bridge had a major crack in the deck, and a pier pile holding up the bridge had buckled, causing the bridge to… Read More »

Culverts: The Essential Infrastructure You Never Knew You Needed

By Dan Sydow, PE The so-called “atmospheric rivers” that have dropped massive volumes of rain upon California this winter are calling renewed attention to the importance of adequate flood control infrastructure across the United States. About the Expert: Dan Sydow, PE, is Structural Engineering Group Manager of Ayres’ Midwest Transportation division. He has designed hundreds… Read More »

What Is Riprap? And Why It Rocks!

What is Riprap? Riprap describes a range of rocky material placed along shorelines, bridge foundations, steep slopes, and other shoreline structures to protect from scour and erosion. Rocks used range from 4 inches to over 2 feet. The size of the rock needed on a project depends on the steepness of the slope and how… Read More »