Design of highway bridges : an LRFD approach A bridge in civil engineering is a structure that provides passage over an obstacle without closing the way beneath. The design of short and medium span bridges has not changed much over the last decade but the industry has been significantly impacted by the onset of new construction methods and project delivery methods stronger materials and disruptive technologies. Construction methods such as Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) have improved work zone safety by reducing onsite construction time. Project delivery methods such as Design Build and P3 have allowed for Departments of Transportation to innovate and deliver large projects faster and cost effectively. Advancements in the science of concrete materials have led to the development of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) the ideal material for existing highway bridge repair and replacement. Engineers are now utilizing 3 D analysis methods for modeling complex structural configurations in greater detail leading to more accurate analysis results