Feasibility Analysis of a Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bridge

Abstract: When implementing a bridge design proposal, it is common that several alternatives be considered, each with a different material of construction. Traditional building materials used for the construction of bridges have mainly been concrete, steel, timber or aluminium. With all these materials options, maintenance and replacement costs throughout the lifespan of a bridge make up for a large proportion of their total life cycle costs. Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) provides a new viable construction material, which can be implemented in bridge construction. This plastic based material has favourable material properties such a very high strength to weight ratio, high corrosion resistance and durability, as well as very low maintenance costs over its lifetime. In the feasibility analysis, a case study of an existing FRP deck bridge was taken and examined in three aspects: structural, economic and environmental. The bridge was also redesigned with a concrete deck solution, to provide a comparison to a conventional construction material. The results were found, in general to be favourable towards the FRP solution. From the structural analysis savings on deflection, support reactions and superstructure stresses were outputted. Economically, the composite material was found to have a substantial higher initial cost but much lower periodic maintenance costs than the concrete option. Finally the FRP bridge option displayed a lower construction time for the superstructure, at one third of that of concrete and an overall lower environmental impact, based on material production and the overall bridge construction process.