Highway Infrastructure And Viability Of GFRP Materials

Highway Infrastructure And Viability Of GFRP Materials

Highway infrastructure deteriorates over time via heavy loads, poor maintenance practices, harsh environments, and insufficient maintenance. The excessive use of sodium chloride in winter and natural corrosive elements result in the corrosion of steel reinforcement and coating used to protect rebar. Low construction budgets, increased traffic volume, and complicated roadway construction areas put a strain on the properties of traditional materials to meet the need for lightweight, easy-to-maintain, sustainable, and rapid construction.

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) materials, which are being used in military and aerospace applications for many years, have been developed into sustainable and cost-effective construction solutions for the highway community’s infrastructure needs. One of the reasons why bridges and roads should be reinforced with composites is the ability of GFRP to effectively encounter the shortcomings of traditional materials such as steel.

Sufficient progress has been made in an attempt to start the widespread application of GFRP to highway infrastructure. It is understandable that the construction industry has to make sure whether or not GFRP technology holds to promise. Nevertheless, the superior properties of composite materials lead to widespread use of GFRP construction products in transportation infrastructure applications.

While it is an established fact that composites can dramatically increase the service life of highway infrastructure, it is important to determine how GFRP reinforcement and other materials can be best deployed. A significant amount of studies and research has been conducted to investigate the durability of GFRP in highway infrastructure applications.

Reinforced concrete bridges are supposed to maintain their function and service over a long period of time. GFRP is the only material that can help bridge owners build structures that can achieve or exceed the service life of 100 years. On top of that, GFRP composites don’t require heavy maintenance or repair to maintain their strength and performance. From variable loading to extreme weather conditions, GFRP-reinforced structures can withstand tough conditions and enable engineers to build long-lasting concrete members.

Because of many beneficial properties, GFRP materials offer a promising solution for a number of longstanding structural issues such as corrosion and expensive maintenance. GFRP fiberglass rebar has a high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent fatigue resistance, and it is not affected by the aggressive highway environment. Reduced overall life-cycle cost is one of the top reasons why the construction industry should start using GFRP rebar as a dominant choice for concrete reinforcement.

TUF-BAR has been striving to identify the most promising applications of GFRP materials. We also work actively towards developing a strategic plan for guiding the implementation of GFRP in various highway and waterside applications. Visit our website to study the specifications of our GFRP fiberglass products!