CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/632301
TRENDS CONSTRUCTION FEBRUARY 2016 22 CompositesWorld In 2003, worldwide, there were little more than 175 vehicular bridges and 160 pedestrian bridges in service that incorporated composites. That was a fair number, considering that 10 years earlier, there were only about a dozen. At the time, composites in bridge structures were thought to have great promise. Rapid proliferation was expected due to growing recognition in civil engineering circles of compos- ites' structural durability, corrosion resistance and light weight, and how those properties could translate to faster installation, better load-carrying capability and reduced maintenance over a bridge's much longer service life. The Innovative Bridge Research and Construction (IBRC) program, a six-year efort that began in 1998, saw more than 150 bridge projects incor- porate composites and bridge perfor- mance monitoring but funding for the latter was, unfortunately, ended by the Federal Highway Admin. (FHWA) in 2004. Composite bridge develop- ment continued, but composites did not displace steel and steel-reinforced concrete in the bridge design toolbox. The American Composites Manufac- turers Assn. (ACMA, Arlington, VA, US) recently highlighted a provision in the US$305 billion highway bill that will direct the FHWA to contract with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to assess the overall perfor- mance of more than 300 bridges built under the IBRC. Composite bridges built under that program, therefore, will get another look and be compared to bridges built with conventional materials. The study also will provide recommendations to Congress on how the installed lifecycle costs of bridges could be reduced through the use of compos- ites. The CW editorial staf hopes to gain access to that data and report the results. See the CW Blog titled "How have bridges measured up?" | short.compositesworld.com/BridgeBlog Assuming favorable results, the long-overdue data might fnally help point local DOTs toward composites. ® How are composite bridges performing? Contact us for a free no obligation mold release anti-stick lubrication consultation: www.mclube.com | 800.2.MCLUBE (800.262.5823) | info@mclube.com Over 60 yrs of experience in all facets of composites molding. Around the world, Team McLube is the proven leader in providing cost effective release solutions.