A new, rocking, pre-tensioned concrete bridge support system has been developed by the University of Washington that reduces on-site construction time and minimizes earthquake damage. The 52-ton, 70-ft.-long concrete bridge, built atop three 14- by 14-ft., 50-ton-capacity hydraulically driven shake tables at the University of Nevada, Reno, was shaken in a series of simulated earthquakes, culminating in the large ground motions recorded in the deadly and damaging 1995 magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Kobe, Japan.
New Bridge Design Helps Speed Construction, Resist Earthquake Damage
70-foot-long Concrete Bridge Survives Series of Simulated Earthquakes
Video: Timelapse Construction of Pretensioned Bridge Construction
