Highway Bridge Pier Caps Strengthened with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer

The transportation infrastructure, specifically bridges, plays a vital role in the well being and economic growth of America’s business community. According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in the next 30 years, domestic freight volume is forecasted to double and international freight volume entering U.S. ports may quadruple.

The recent collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis is a potent reminder of something we know all too well: America’s infrastructure is crumbling. Evidence of the need for comprehensive bridge rehabilitation programs is compelling: since 1966, 1500 bridges have actually collapsed. According to the National Bridge Inventory, one-quarter of our nation’s current bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, which threatens our economy. In addition to deterioration, over the past decades, standard truck weights and traffic volumes have increased. As a result, many older bridges that are still in good condition are not adequate to support today’s traffic needs.