Category: 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 »

A Crash Course for Load Ratings and Bridge Posting Signs

Have You Ever Wondered What Those Weight Signs Posted at the Ends of a Bridge Mean? These weight posting signs display the maximum safe weight for a vehicle. Since there are a number of different vehicle sizes and shapes on the roads today, different types of vehicles called “Legal Loads” are individually analyzed. Each legal… 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 »