Page 8 - NovDec2021 Vol39No5

Bridges from page 7
partner in the project, calling
the collaboration a prime
opportunity “to showcase
FRP composite bridges as
a great product, and be at
the forefront of cutting-
edge technology and its
implementation.”
The four private
corporations — Structural
Composites Inc. in
Melbourne, Fla., CAG, Luna
Innovations and McKinney
Excavating, committed
to designing, fabricating, Advantages of
shipping, installing and
monitoring the 16-by-25- Prefabricated
foot bridge deck, all at no cost to Morgan bridge deck technology can provide rural
County. Structural Composites designed communities with a low-cost, lightweight Composite Bridge
the bridge and fabricated the deck at its bridge structure that requires less Decks
Florida facility with support from the equipment, making a shorter period for
federal Paycheck Protection Program on-site preparation and a vastly shorter Small rural bridges represent a
(PPP), under the CARES Act. period for on-site installation.” significant but often overlooked
In addition to Structural Composites A shorter installation time is especially segment of the nation’s
and its key partners, several other private critical in single-access locations, which underserved infrastructure.
companies contributed expertise and are more common in rural areas than Many rural counties may not
materials such as adhesives, epoxies, urban. In Morgan County, because the be aware of the existence of
coatings and resins, preforms and two completed bridge sections were so prefabricated composite bridge
reinforcements to the project. They lightweight, they easily were transported decks, which have advantages
include Interplastic Corporation, to the construction site and installed in
Engineered Bonding Solutions LLC, one day using a forklift. such as:
AcraLock Engineered Solutions, Steffen The deck panels were fabricated using Reduced costs, since
Structural Engineering, West System, a hand layup process. Abutments were lightweight modular
Superior Fiberglass, METYX Composites made from concrete using standard construction involves:
and Compsys, Inc. fabrication methods. Steel beams were • Rapid installation
More Than 150,000 U.S. Bridges Need attached to the abutments using standard • Minimal impact to the
methods. The FRP decks are bonded and
Replacing bolted onto the steel beams. surrounding environment
Scott Lewit, Structural Composites For rural counties struggling with
President, said more than 150,000 bridges tight budgets, faster completion can • Fewer traffic delays
in the U.S., many located in rural parts of mean significant savings in time and • Lessened impact on local
the country, are in need of replacement. money. Miller said he originally wasn’t communities
According to the American Society of sure if the project was right for his
Civil Engineers, around 8 percent of the needs, “but they made a believer out of Improved bridge life span due
more than 617,000 bridges across America me. Everyone is looking at better, faster, to:
are structurally deficient and in need of easier ways of bridge repair, and naturally • Low maintenance features
repair. I was skeptical but curious when I was
Lewit said that while his company is approached about the opportunity. This • Corrosion resistant
producing the bridge deck, or surface, at composite bridge has already made a components
its plant in Florida, the long-term vision positive impact on Morgan County.” • Capability to last up to
is to deploy the technology across the U.S. And in the future? “Well, we’re looking 100 years
industrial base of composite fabricators. at doing more of them,” he said. “We
“It moves infrastructure construction have numerous bridges within the county Composite bridges can be
from the field into the factory, allowing and hundreds across the state that are in designed to meet highway and
for prefabrication in a controlled need of repair and could benefit from this transportation performance
environment and very rapid field technology.” and safety standards, scalable
installation that minimizes installation “We’ll be picking the next ‘right to larger bridge sizes and
traffic impacts,” he said. “Composites candidate’ shortly,” Miller said. structural requirements.

8 TPW November/December 2021