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The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is pouring over data it collected from its bridge replacement project to see just how much the bridges twisted and stretched while they were being moved into place over I-80.
While the massive bridges were slowly rolling down the road, Shana Lindsey, UDOT's director of research and bridge operations, says researchers put sensors across the bridges that could tell them exactly how much the steel and concrete was twisting and pulling.
"Now, if it bends more than it's supposed to, then it gets into plastic phase, and it does not go back to that original shape," Lindsey explained.
That's bad, but she says all the data says the bridges did not bend or deflect more than 3 or 4 inches, which means they're in good shape.
Lindsey says UDOT researchers are now going over all the data, looking to see if it can help them build even better bridges in the future.
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
