Bridge Construction and Rehab Using Advanced Composites

A multidisciplinary team at the University of Delaware is investigating a broad range of issues associated with the application of advanced composite materials to bridges. The team is addressing the design and construction of new, all-composite bridges as well as the rehabilitation of deteriorated steel and concrete structures.

Background

The cost to rehabilitate America's structurally deficient bridges and replace the ones that are functionally obsolete has been estimated at close to $150 billion. The application of composite materials to bridge construction and rehabilitation is a potential solution to this problem at significantly reduced acquisition and life-cycle costs.

The UD team's focus is on conducting basic research, transferring technology to end users in industry and government, and educating the next generation of civil engineers and materials scientists in the use of this new technology. By "saving bridges from the past and building bridges for the future," the program is positioning the University of Delaware to become a national leader in the application of advanced materials to bridge construction and rehabilitation.

UD-CCM researchers have demonstrated successful steel rehabilitation strategies using composites.

Research

The research focuses on

• design methodologies
• large-scale testing and validation
• long-term health monitoring
• guidelines and procedures for fabrication, construction, and repair
• training of designers, contractors, maintenance personnel, and materials suppliers
• engineering/durability properties

Various fabrication techniques are being investigated, including bonding of graphite pultrusions to corroded steel girders, wrapping of crumbling concrete columns with carbon-fiber-reinforced composite sheets, and validation of new bridge decks fabricated using vacuum-assisted resin infusion techniques.

In addition to civil infrastructure projects, the team has assisted the U.S. Army with the design and construction of the 15-meter portable Composite Army Bridge (CAB).

Large-scale testing of composite bridge decks is carried out on the 220-kip test frame in the University's civil engineering structures lab.

Approach

The team's "building block" approach to pioneering this technology is actually a model in itself. Current efforts focus on three Delaware bridges, representing an increasing level of both technological difficulty and risk. This approach to the research is enabling information gained from the first, simple case to be applied to the subsequent, more complex testbeds.

Collaborators

The program is being carried out with the support of, and in collaboration with, the following:

• the construction and composites industries
• the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT)
• the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA)
• the U.S. Army