Fiber-reinforced polymer composites, high-performance concrete and other innovative materials and technologies appear to be fulfilling their promise to reduce infrastructure maintenance and life-cycle costs, and cut construction time, according to a recently released Transportation Research Board consensus study.
Commissioned under the FAST Act of 2015, the study analyzed the performance of nearly 400 construction and repair projects in 20 states from 1999 to 2005 as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program (IBRC). The program included approximately 150 bridge projects.