Best management practices for storage of historic metal truss bridges.

As part of a 2002 agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has committed to consider storing metal truss bridges of historic value in lieu of demolition, until a recipient can be located. This research addresses the most effective processes for storage of historic metal truss bridges until a reuse can be determined. The design and material integrity of the bridge must be retained. The report first reviews the conditions leading to the decision to replace a historic bridge including the determination of the feasibility for reuse, discusses the cases in which metal truss bridges are commonly stored in situ versus being removed and stored at an off-site location, then addresses the early tasks to be undertaken once the decision has been made to store a bridge. These activities are referred to broadly as the evaluation and stabilization of the bridge. This is followed by an assessment of best practices in the areas of preservation, documentation, marketing, disassembly, transportation, and cost estimation as these pertain to storage. The research concludes with a case study that analyses the marketing and storage of a historic metal truss bridge in Griffin, Georgia, which was replaced in 2012.