TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 536: Bridge Demolition Practices documents practices used by bridge owners to manage and administer bridge demolition in construction projects.

Each year hundreds of bridges are rebuilt or are entirely replaced as part of highway construction projects. Bridge reconstruction or replacement work often entails demolition of part or all of the bridge structure.

Unintended events resulting in injury, project delays, and traffic disruptions can occur and have occurred during bridge demolition activities. The intention of this synthesis report is to assist in better understanding how to reduce risk associated with bridge demolition.