Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-12-29
AUTOMOBILE AND ROAD NEWS
Montana Bridge Building Is Standardized


crossing, giving length of the span
required, depth of stream, distan ;e
from shipping point, location of
bridge site, location of sand and
gravel for concrete and any other To-
cal conditions that may enter into
the construction of the proposed
bridge.
Upon receipt of the application, if
the data furnished appears sufficient
and there appears no reason for fur
Their Investigation, standard plans to
suit the special occasion are imme-
diately furnished. ALI the data fur
nished is shown OF these plans in
detail. If there appears to De eason
for further investigation of the pro-
posed bridge site, or the data is in
sufficient, one of the department en-
gineers makes a survey and investiga-
ton before the plan is furnished.
Upon a date for a bridge letting be-
ing fixed, standard plans and specifi-
cations are forwarded direct from
the state highway department to the
various steel companies fabricating
bridges and to all contractors known
to the department who will be likely
to bid at the letting. Plans are also
kept ON file in the county clerks Of
flee of the county building the
bridge, as well as at the office of the
state highway commission in Helena.
Under this system competition is
stimulated as it is possible for every
bidder to obtain information upon
which to base his estimate of the
contract. The cost OF all plans, in
spection and supervision of construc-
ton is carried by the state highway
department.
Standards for Small Bridges.
In addition to plans for the larger
bridges, the department has prepared
and filed with the county clerk of
every county in the state a set of
standards for small bridges, covering
beam and pile structures. These
may be built from such plans by au-
thority of the various boards of coun-
" commissioners without further in
from the highway depart
ment. The commission is prepared
at all times to furnish all plans re-
CURED for either steel, concrete, or
WOOD structures, the designs in either
case being the most economical
structure possible to suit the location,
at the same time SO proportioned as
10 meet the standards adopted for
capacity.
inS result or Standardization is
the building of better structures at
less money than ever before. The
TACT the plans are standard brings
closer competition for the reason
mat bridges of the same character
and design built from time to time
make IT possible to estimate the cost
more closely for structures. The a
rlous bridge shops having construct
ed these different structures in the
past are in a better position to quote
close figures, by virtue of the fact
that they have previously constructed
IDENTICAL structures, and the only
element of a variable nature entering
into the work is the foundation and
the piers.
During the past IS months, the
department. has furnished designs for
125 bridges located in almost every
county in the state; Musselshell
ty alone has had constructed seven
standard bridges ranging from
1872 to 175 foot spans, the costs
of which were less than maid
formerly for bridges much light
er but of the same length, not
outstanding a higher price of metal
at the time the contracts were let for
the heavier structures.