The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently completed a bridge structure at the I-225/Parker Road Interchange southeast of Denver using innovative construction materials. Part of the bridge deck was constructed of a crack resistant high-performance concrete (HPC) mix and fiber reinforced polymeric reinforcement (FRP) under the sponsorship of the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction (IBRC) program of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). To support and validate the design of the bridge deck using innovative materials, a series of studies were conducted at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The studies include the development of HPC mixes, evaluation of the mechanical properties of FRP reinforcing bars under static and cyclic fatigue loads with environmental preconditioning, evaluation of the load carrying capacities of full-scale precast panels prestressed with FRP tendons, and finally, evaluation of the long-term fatigue endurance of a model bridge deck, part of which had a design similar to the actual bridge deck with FRP reinforcement at I-225/Parker Road. Furthermore, the applicability of the AASHTO empirical method to the topping slab of precast panel decks was also investigated.

As part of a national initiative sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under the Innovative Bridge Research and Construction (IBRC) program, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) incorporated an innovative and emerging technology on the Parker road/I-225 interchange reconstruction project. For the first time in its history, CDOT put to work carbon fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) in precast bridge deck panels in place of steel tendons. Glass FRP was used as mild reinforcement in conjunction with carbon FRP and also in the construction of a bridge rail. FRP materials are highly resistant to corrosive action of chloride and have a higher strength to weight ratio than steel tendons. The primary objective of this study was to validate the mechanical properties and the performance of carbon and glass FRP bars as reinforcing agents for bridge decks at the I-225 and Parker road interchange. Included in this report is an overview of existing literature on FRP reinforcement, evaluation of the bond strength of the FRP bars using pullout tests, and load testing of three prestressed panels and two composite slabs to failure.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 655: Recommended Guide Specification for the Design of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Repair and Strengthening of Concrete Bridge Elements examines a recommended guide specification for the design of externally bonded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) systems for the repair and strengthening of concrete bridge elements. The report addresses the design requirements for members subjected to different loading conditions including flexure, shear and torsion, and combined axial force and flexure. The recommended guide specification is supplemented by design examples to illustrate its use for different FRP strengthening applications.

.".. papers presented at the ACI Fall 2003 Convention, in Boston, Massachusetts"--P. iii.

The in situ rehabilitation or upgrading of reinforced concrete members using bonded steel plates is an effective, convenient and economic method of improving structural performance. However, disadvantages inherent in the use of steel have stimulated research into the possibility of using fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) materials in its place, providing a non-corrosive, more versatile strengthening system. This book presents a detailed study of the flexural strengthening of reinforced and prestressed concrete members using fibre reinforces polymer composite plates. It is based to a large extent on material developed or provided by the consortium which studied the technology of plate bonding to upgrade structural units using carbon fibre / polymer composite materials. The research and trial tests were undertaken as part of the ROBUST project, one of several ventures in the UK Government's DTI-LINK Structural Composites Programme. The book has been designed for practising structural and civil engineers seeking to understand the principles and design technology of plate bonding, and for final year undergraduate and postgraduate engineers studying the principles of highway and bridge engineering and structural engineering. Detailed study of the flexural strengthening of reinforced and prestressed concrete members using fibre reinforced polymer composites Contains in-depth case histories

This reviews the progress made worldwide in the use of fibre reinforced polymers as structural components in bridges until the end of the year 2000. Due to their advantageous material properties such as high specific strength, a large tolerance for frost and de-icing salts and, furthermore, short installation times with minimum traffic interference, fibre reinforced polymers have matured to become valuable alternative building materials for bridge structures. Today, fibre reinforced polymers are manufactured industrially to semi-finished products and complete structural components, which can be easily and quickly installed or erected on site.