PROJECT REPORT

ON

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION USING

FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER (FRP)
COMPOSITES

Submitted by: Jayakrishnan J

Submitted on: May 19, 2021

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 Table of Contents

Content Page No:

INTRODUCTION 4
FRP COMPOSITES 5
Components of FRP Composites 5
Fibres 5
Matrices 5
Types of Fibre Reinforced Polymers 6
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) 6
Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) 6
Aramid Fibre Reinforced Polymer (AFRP) 6
ADVANTAGES OF FRP OVER TRADITIONAL COMPOSITES 7
Stiffness 7
Strength 7
Quick and easy transport and installation 8
Corossion resistance 9
Sustainability 9
FRP COMPOSITES IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION FIELD 9
Hybrid bridge structures 10
All concrete bridge structures 11
DESIGN PARAMETERS OF 1km SPAN FRP BRIDGE 12
Substructure 12
Superstructure 12
Manual and semi-automated methods 12
Fully automated methods 13
Pultrusion process 13
Filament winding process 14
Resin transfer moulding 15
Decks 16
Cables and tendons 17
Structural members 17
CONCLUSION 17
INFERENCE 18

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 List of Figures and Tables

Figure No Name Page No:

Figure 1 Glass, Carbon and Aramid Fibre 5
Figure 2 Composition of FRP 6
Figure 3 CFRP and GFRP 7
Figure 4 Graphical representation of strength and 8
stiffness of different material in construction
Figure 5 Application of Carbon Fibre Column Wrap and 10
completed Carbon Fibre Wrap
Figure 6 (a) FRP composite and concrete hybrid beam 11
Figure 6 (b) Autovía del Cantábrico Bridge 11
Figure 7 (a) U-shaped girders of Smith Road Bridge 11
Figure 7 (b) Audubon Canyon Ranch 11
Figure 8 (a) Hand lay-up 13
Figure (b) Spray up 13
Figure 9 Pultrusion process 14
Figure 10 Filament winding process 15
Figure 11 Resin transfer moulding process 15
Figure 12 Various FRP decks used in bridge construction 16
Figure 13 Various structural sections 17

Table No Name Page No:

Table 1 Different material properties 8

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INTRODUCTION
The combination of reinforcing steel and concrete has been the basis for a number of
structural systems used for construction for the last century. Fibre reinforced polymer
composites, developed primarily for the aerospace and defence industries, are a class of
materials with great potential to use in civil infrastructure. A number of constructions have
built, in which FRP composites replaced traditional materials for structural elements. In this
present report deals with the substitution of some bridge elements using FRP composites.

Composite is defined as a mechanically separable combination of two or more

component materials, different at the molecular level, mixed purposefully in order to obtain a
new material with optimal properties, different than the properties of the components. Fibre
Reinforced Polymer composites are the combination of polymeric resins, acting as matrices
or binders, with strong and stiff fibre assemblies which act as the reinforcing phase. Mainly
these composites are used for both the rehabilitation of existing structures and for the
construction of new facilities. The fibre reinforced polymer composites are increasingly being
considered as an enhancement to and/or substitute for infrastructure components or systems
that are constructed of traditional civil engineering materials, namely concrete and steel. FRP
composites are lightweight, no-corrosive, exhibit high specific strength and specific stiffness,
are easily constructed, and can be tailored to satisfy performance requirements. The main
advantages of FRP are-

 High strength
 Light weight
 High performance
 Long life
 Rehabilitating existing structures and extending their life
 Seismic upgrades

The main drawbacks of FRP are its economic and environmental sustainability. Also,
these have poor resistance to fire and high temperatures. They lose significant strength upon
bending, and are sensitive to stress-rupture effects.

This report deals with the construction element properties, mechanical properties and
type of methods we can adopt for 1 km span bridge construction mainly using FRP4 material.

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FRP COMPOSITES

Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites are defined as polymer reinforced with
fibre. FRPs are anisotropic in nature compared to steel, and have very good mechanical
properties such as high ratio of strength to density, exceptional corrosion resistance and
convenient electrical, magnetic and thermal properties.

Components of FRP Composites

a) FIBRES

Fibres are the main components that defines the properties of composites. Nowadays
different type of fibres are there, the selection of these fibres are based on their stiffness and
tensile strength. Commonly used fibres are Glass fibre, Carbon fibre and Aramid fibre as
shown in Figure 1. The name of different type of composites are from the fibre it carrying.
Example, CFRP is Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer and GFRP is Glass fibre reinforced
plastic.

Figure 1: Glass, Carbon, and Aramid Fibre

b) MATRICES
The fibres are embedded in the matrices and these matrices will give protection to the
fibres from external effects and also help in load transferring between the fibres. Common
matrices in industries are Vinyl ester and epoxy. Thermosetting resins (thermosets) are
almost exclusively used. Epoxies have good strength, bond, creep properties and chemical
resistance. Figure 2 shows composition of FRP.

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 Figure 2: Composition of FRP

Types of Fibre Reinforced Polymers

 Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer(CFRP):

Carbon fibres have a high modulus of elasticity, 200-800 GPa. Carbon fibres
do not absorb water and are resistant to many chemical solutions. They withstand
fatigue excellently and neither corrode nor show any creep or relaxation. Figure 3 (a)
shows CFRP.

 Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer(GFRP):

Glass fibres are made by mixing silica sand, limestone, folic acid and other
minor ingredients. The mix is heated until it melts at about 1260°C. Glass is generally
a good impact resistant fibre but weighs more than carbon or aramid. Glass fibres
have excellent characteristics equal to or better than steel in certain forms. Figure 3
(b) shows GFRP.

 Aramid Fibre Reinforced Polymer(AFRP):

Aramid is the short form for aromatic polyamide. Commonly used in helmets
and bullet-proof garments.

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 (a) (b)

Figure 3: (a) CFRP and (b) GFRP

ADVANTAGES OF FRP OVER TRADITIONAL COMPONENTS

The commonly used construction material in civil engineering constructions are concrete
and steel. Light weight and high strength FRP composites have more strength and stiffness
compared to steel and concrete. A comparison of properties of FRP with other materials are
shown in Table 1. Some of the other mechanical property comparisons also listed below.
Comparison of strength and stiffness of FRP and other materials are as shown in Figure 4.

 Stiffness
Fibre reinforced polymers show good stiffness to weight ratios. Comparison between the
traditional material characteristics to FRP composits can be identified from the chart given
below. Ideal material will have low weight and high stiffness.steel have density of 7850
Kg/m3 and stiffness of 210 GPa,whereas concrete have density 2400 Kg/m 3 and stiffness 30-
40 GPa range. Carbon fibres are close to ideal material. However in FRPs fibres are comined
with a polymer matrices , these have very less stiffness compared to other materials. But the
CFRP unidirectional composites have much more stiffness value with low density.

 Strength
The strength of the steel is 300-770 MPa and concrete have very low strength as
compared to other materials,25-90 MPa. Fibres are performing very well when it comes to
strength. Both glass and carbon have much more strength than the classical engineering
materials at 2700- 5000 MPa. Combining fibres and polymer the strength obtained by
unidirectional FRP is higher than steel. The comparison between FRP composites and

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traditional materials for strength is more favourable than stiffness. Both strength and stiffness
can be optimised by playing with fibre direction.

Table 1. Different material properties

Strength
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Material Density (kg/m ) (MPa) Stiffness (GPa)
Steel 7850 300-700 210
Concrete 2400 25-90 30-40
Aluminium alloy 2700 310 69
Titanium alloy 4500 820 120
Glass fibre 2500 3600 80
Carbon fibre 1800 4130 290
Polymer 1190 60 3.9
GFRP (UD) 2000 1440 43
CFRP (UD) 1600 2750 162

Figure 4: Graphical representation of strength and stiffness of different material in construction

 Quick and easy transport and installation

Traditional civil engineering construction works will take long period of time which
cause inconvenience to users. But due to the light weight and easy making of FRP composites
can be made in factories or in site and easily transported to the site installed using light
equipments.

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  Corrosion resistance

Composite materials as compared to traditional materials (reinforced concrete, steel,

wood) possess a higher resistance to corrosion, aggressive media and chemical reagents,
making them attractive in application where corrosion is a concern. It allows the composites
structures to have a long service life without additional maintenance costs.

 Sustainability – effects on environment

The amount of energy consumption required for glass fibre production is 1/4 the energy
needed for producing steel or 1/6 that for aluminium. The use of glass fibres can be classified
as sustainable and ecological. The application of polymers for structures can be one of the
most sustainable uses of fossil fuels today. The polymers used today are waste products from
the oil industry.

FRP COMPOSITES IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION FIELD

In civil infrastructures, weight savings could result in various advantages such as

better seismic resistance, ease of application of and a decrease in need for large foundations.
In addition, the drive to increase traffic ratings means that there is a huge potential to replace
older and deteriorated bridge structures with FRP materials since weight savings from FRP
materials can improve the live load capacity without the expense of new structures and
approach works.

From the case studies done in new FRP composites bridge construction, it is known
that there are two type of construction practices. They are,

I) Hybrid Bridge Structures.

II) All-Composite Bridge Structures.

Even the FRP composites are used in bridge construction for the repair and
retrofitting of existing Bridge structures and replacement of structural steel. Strengthening
and retrofitting of existing structures using externally bonded FRP composites are one of the
first applications of FRP introduced in civil engineering. The technique is simple, rapid, and
effective. FRP used for strengthening and retrofitting can be in the forms of FRP sheet or
strip, depending on their application. Externally bonded FRP composites have been used for

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increasing both flexural and shear capacity of concrete elements, including girders, beams
and slabs.

The primary cause of deterioration of concrete bridge is the corrosion of steel

reinforcement. Since FRP composite exercises high corrosion resistance, it can be used to
replace steel reinforcement in the forms of rebars for flexural and shear reinforcements, and
tendons for prestressing or post-tensioning. Figure 5 shows application of Carbon Fibre
Column Wrap and completed Carbon Fibre Wrap.

Figure 5: Application of Carbon Fibre Column Wrap and completed Carbon Fibre Wrap.

 Hybrid bridge structures

Hybrid bridges are understood as structures created by combining elements made of

traditional materials (girders) with elements made of FRP composites (decks or
cables/tendons). The piers are usually made of traditional materials. The most common
example of a hybrid bridge is a construction composed of steel or concrete girders to which
FRP bridge deck is affixed. FRP bridge deck was introduced as a solution providing easy
installation, light weight and potential resistance against environmental and chemical
damages. In reinforced concrete beam, the function of concrete below neutral axis is mainly
to position reinforcing steel and to protect it from corrosion. However, concrete has little
tensile strength comparing to steel, which results in hairline cracking and further,
environmental attack of the reinforcing steel. There have been studies on a composite system
that uses concrete in the compressive part of a beam and FRP sheet below the neutral axis.
Some projects are carried out on the above mentioned long span beams. Figure 6 (a) and (b)

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shows FRP composite and concrete hybrid beam and Autovía del Cantábrico Bridge
respectively.

(a)

(b)

Figure 6: a) FRP composite and concrete hybrid beam, b) Autovía del Cantábrico Bridge.

 All-Composite Bridge Structures.

All-composite bridge structures are understood as bridges with

superstructures constructed exclusively of FRP materials. The substructure elements
(abutments and piers) usually consist of traditional materials. In these structures differences
are evident between traditional bridge concepts with simple material substitution and first
steps towards new material-adapted concepts. Some of the all- composite bridges are given
below. Figure 7 (a) shows U-shaped girders of Smith Road Bridge (1990) and (b) Audubon
Canyon Ranch (2010).

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 Figure 7: a) U-shaped girders of Smith Road Bridge in 1990, b) Audubon Canyon Ranch in 2010.

DESIGN PARAMETERS OF 1km SPAN FRP BRIDGE

In recent years, fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite deck

systems have emerged as an alternative to conventional reinforced concrete (RC) slabs. Main
benefits of these are i) the light weight of FRP deck panels to reduce dead loads, which
comprise a major portion of loads in typical bridges, ii) shorter construction time due to the
quick and easy installation of FRP systems and iii) increased service life because of enhanced
durability of FRP panels.

For the design of 1 Km span FRP bridge, we are considering 25 m

span length parts and the details of one span components is given below. With the help of
case studies done in small span bridges already constructed, there are so many limitations for
the long span bridges. FRP panels provide enough design and installation flexibility to
accommodate situations where standard panels and details may not be adequate.

SUBSTRUCTURE

All the bridge construction done in FRP composites use traditional substructure
system. But for the introduction of FRP composites in sub structures, we can use externally
bounded FRP composites to the piers and can be strengthen than traditional ones. Externally
bonded FRP composites have been used for increasing both flexural and shear capacity of
concrete elements, including girders, beams and slabs.

SUPERSTRUCTURE

The portion of the bridge that supports the deck and connects one substructure
element to another. The bridge superstructure consists of the FRP composites decks, cables,
tendons and structural elements.

The manufacturing process of FRP composites are listed. For the manufacturing process
one should consider anticipated number of elements to produce, their shape and their
dimensions. There are various methods of manufacturing, from manual to fully-automated.
Below are described five methods related to civil engineering: hand lay-up, spray-up,
filament winding, resin transfer moulding and pultrusion.

1. Manual and semi-automated methods

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 Manual processes include methods such as hand lay-up and spray-up as
shown in Figure 8. Hand lay-up or wet lay-up process is one of the oldest composite
manufacturing technologies. It is labour intensive method, in which liquid resin is
applied to the mould and fibre reinforcement is placed manually on top. Metal
laminating roller is used to impregnate the fibre with resin and remove any trapped
air. Several steps are repeated until a suitable thickness is reached. Figure 8 shows a
Manual Hand Lay-Up technique.
Spray-up process is similar to hand lay-up process, but much faster and less
expensive. In this process, a spray gun is used to apply resin and chopped
reinforcements to the mould. Glass fibres chopped to a length of 10 to 40 mm are
usually used as reinforcement. It is more suitable for manufacturing non-structural
parts that do not require high strength.
One of the semi-automated processes is resin infusion under flexible tooling
process. This method is mainly used to retrofit CFRP to steel, cast iron, and concrete
bridges. In this method, fibres are pre formed in a mould and transported to site. The
preform is then attached to structure being retrofitted and enveloped by vacuum
bagging system, together with a resin supply. Resin is then injected into the preform,
forming both composite material and adhesive bond between the composite and the
structure.

(a)

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 (b)
Figure 8. (a) Hand lay-up (b) Spray up process

2. Fully-automated methods
 Pultrusion
Pultrusion is a process enabling continual production of FRP profiles with
constant cross sections and material properties manufactured for specific purposes as
shown in Figure 9.
It is the only method which give sufficiently consistent quality. Pultrusion is done by
continual pulling reinforced material through a guide where the fibres are placed
precisely in required relation to the profile cross section, then, leading the fibres
through processing equipment and impregnating them with the matrix material,
pulling the combined mixture through the heated equipment and curing the profile
into its final geometry. The fully cured profile is pulled forward to a floating
suspended saw which cuts it into defined lengths.

Figure 9. Pultrusion process

 Filament winding
Filament winding is a process in which resin-impregnated fibres are wound
over a rotating mandrel at the desired angle. Therefore, starting materials for this
process are continuous glass, carbon or aramid fibres. Liquid thermoset resins used in
this process are epoxy, polyester and vinyl-ester. The composite unit is then removed
from the mandrel and cured by being placed in an oven enclosure at 60°C for 8 hours.
This manufacturing process is commonly used to fabricate tubular structures and
pipes.
Figure 10 shows a filament winding process.

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 Figure 10. Filament winding process

 Resin transfer moulding

In resin transfer moulding, fabrics are laid up as a dry stack, sometimes
prepressed to the mould shape, and held together by a binder as shown in Figure 11.
These preforms are then more easily laid into the mould tool. A second mould tool is
then clamped over the first, and a pressurized mixture of thermoset resin, a catalyst,
colour, filler, etc. is injected into the cavity using dispensing equipment to form
structural parts. Once all the fabric is wet out, the resin inlets are closed, and the
laminate is allowed to cure. Both injection and cure can take place at either ambient or
elevated temperature.

Figure 11. Resin transfer moulding process

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  Decks
Multilayer FRP decks, popularly known as sandwiches, are structural elements with
the mass concentrated in the surface layers and low- density core. They are characterized by
high stiffness to weight ratio and high resistance to bending and pressure. Compared to
traditional RC decks these have light weight, high fatigue strength and corrosion resistance,
and they can be easily and quickly applied. The thickness of these are usually a fixed quantity
170 to 230 mm. They are made by pultrusion process, but hand lay-up and vacuum assisted
resin transfer moulding.
They are the most popularly used FRP structural element in bridges, mostly while
replacing older deck structures in existing bridges to achieve dead load savings. Figure 12
shows various FRP docs used in bridge construction.

Figure 12. Various FRP decks used in bridge construction

The FRP composites are connected to each other using bonded

connection and mechanical connections. The Euro codes EN 13706 1, 2 will give the
minimum requirements of the quality, tolerances, strength, stiffness and surface of structural
profiles. In the site installation the combined connection is used, which have both the bonded
and mechanical connection.

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  Cables and tendons

Fibre Reinforced Polymers in form of wires (CFRP) are a material with very interesting
properties for stay cables or tendons, like high tensile strength, high fatigue resistance as well
as low weight and excellent chemical resistance. CFRP cables need a cover, such as
commonly used polyethylene tubes, to protect from the destructive effects of UV radiation,
wind and moisture.

 Structural Members

Due to the low corrosive nature these FRP composites can be used for the making of hand
rails and other sections. Profiles used in bridge engineering are produced primarily in the
pultrusion process. The forms are based on cross sections of steel profiles, although there are
some innovative forms adapted to the properties of FRP composites. These can be easily
transported to the sites. Figure 13 shows various structural steel sections.

Figure 13. Various structural sections a) steel I-beam, b) T bar, c) a channel section, d) square, s), square
tube, f) plate, g) circular tube, h) handrail

CONCLUSION

Traditional bridge design and installation had a big problem of time consuming. FRP
composites can make a good impact in bridge construction. If we are considering only 1 span
of 25 m long. The time, labour, transportation cost everything will be very less compared to
traditional construction methods. Due to their high strength and durability, we can use these
in construction. Replacing the traditional construction materials and introducing FRP
composites are common in Europe and other nations. We can introduce these to Indian
construction field and 1 km span bridges can be made within limited number of days.

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INFERENCE

The application of FRP composites to the field of bridge construction can reduce
installation time and saving of money. Usually the maintenance amount for bridges and
structural components are high. The amount given to labour is more compared to materials.
Using FRP composites we can reduce both the amount. More studies have to carry out in the
perspective of mechanical parameters of the FRP composites to increase its tensile nature
(reduce the brittle behaviour).

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