The 21st Century Interstate Features A New Material World
Back in the 1990s, recalls Heath Carr, president of Fibrwrap Construction Inc., “everyone would look at you like you were crazy” for proposing to repair a bridge with composite fiber components. But 5,000 retrofits later, the looks are gone. Although fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) still are not in the mainstream of transportation construction, they are far from esoteric. Carr notes that “the costs of traditional steel and concrete costs have inflated, whereas FRP costs have stayed the same.”
But many bridge and highway engineers say mainstream use of FRP still is in its infancy. “If the high costs of steel don’t come down, we will see more FRP,” says Ray McCabe, New York City-based bridge and tunnel chairman for HNTB Corp. On the other hand, steel costs are moderating and costs of other materials also have risen, says Conn Abnee, executive director of the National Steel Bridge Alliance, Chicago.