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The very first carbon fiber reinforced/prestressed bridge in the United
States consisted of the replacement of a failing bridge spanning a river, with
two parallel concrete bridges. The construction of the first bridge consisted of
using standard AASHTO precast concrete girders and steel reinforcement. The
second bridge was constructed of precast concrete
double tee beams, reinforced and prestressed with rods and strands produced from
carbon fiber reinforced polymers. Using the carbon fiber as structural
reinforcement can dramatically increase the potential service life of highway
bridges, thereby reducing safety hazards and annual maintenance costs.
Technical Note: Each bridge used 3 spans over 62 m (204 ft) in length
to carry one-way traffic in a boulevard configuration.
 Bridge Street Bridge -
Southfield, MI
Precaster: Hollowcore Inc.
Consulting Engineers: Hubbell, Roth & Clark,
Inc.
in conjunction with Dr. Nabil Grace,
Lawrence Technological University
General Contractor: Angelo Iafrate
Construction Company "I'm glad I used precast
because..."
"Products made of CFRP, carbon fiber reinforced polymer, are made from very thin
fibers of carbon, about the diameter of a human hair. These fibers are woven
together and enveloped in epoxy, similar to how fiber-glass is made using
strands of glass. Carbon fibers are much stronger than glass fibers, and almost
as strong as steel. The chief advantage of CFRP over steel in construction, is
that it’s non-corrosive. Without corrosion, we can expect reinforced concrete to
last much longer."
Frederick C. Navarre, P.E.
Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. Consulting Engineers |
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