Brief
Michigan’s Department of Transportation and Lawrence Tech University have teamed up to develop a carbon fiber reinforced polymer material that could replace steel as a reinforcing material in concrete bridges. This new material is corrosion-resistant and requires minimal maintenance, resulting in bridges that can last up to a century.
Insight
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Lawrence Tech University (LTU) are collaborating to develop carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials for use in concrete bridge beams.
The research has moved from the lab into the field, resulting in bridges that can last for up to a century with minimal maintenance. The use of CFRP strands instead of steel as a reinforcing material in the foundation of concrete bridges helps resist corrosion and requires less maintenance
over time. While more costly upfront, carbon fiber strands have a tensile strength comparable to steel and can withstand moisture, freezing rain, and extreme temperature swings that do not significantly affect the material’s strength or mechanical properties over time.
The added cost for using CFRP instead of steel is about four to five times higher, depending on the project’s size and the amount used. However, the idea is to build and walk away without having to deal with maintenance costs, which can continue for years and years.
Since the material has been used in practical applications, MDOT has seen significant success with 11 bridges built using CFRP instead of steel as the base component, including three bridges along Eight Mile Road. It has been used in 31 bridges around the nation.
LTU helped create the CFRP strands, which have been tested extensively, including a bridge beam test with up to 150,000 pounds of pressure, materials testing in a fire chamber capable of heating materials up to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, and a materials freeze test in an environmental chamber capable of temperatures down to 40 degrees below zero.
The use of CFRP in MDOT projects has become so significant that Japanese CFRP supplier, Tokyo Rope Co., has built a plant in Canton Township to cut down on costs and delivery times.
The use of CFRP is not universal in MDOT projects, but where it is cost-effective based on the project itself. The technology has become wildly popular all over the country, and MDOT is optimistic that it will eliminate the phrase “fix the damn roads” as they can build bridges that last longer and require less maintenance.
Highlight
- The use of CFRP strands instead of steel as a reinforcing material in the foundation of concrete bridges helps resist corrosion and requires less maintenance over time.
- Carbon fiber strands have a tensile strength comparable to steel and can withstand moisture, freezing rain, and extreme temperature swings that do not significantly affect the material’s strength or mechanical properties over time.
- CFRP technology can build bridges that last for up to a century with minimal maintenance, reducing the need for constant repair.
- The added cost for using CFRP instead of steel is about four to five times higher, depending on the project’s size and the amount used.
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