Novel bridge deck work completed on Wisconsin project

Professor Larry Bank (right) discusses progress on a bridge deck project in Waupun, Wis., with graduate student Adam Berg. (21K JPG)

Composite bridge technology developed in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was featured in a recent edition of Materials Performance, published by The Corrosion Society NACE International. The article focused on fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing grids, polymer stay-in-place panels, and FRP reinforcing bars used in the construction of a bridge deck in Waupun, Wisconsin. It is the first time the FRP technology has been utilized in a bridge deck by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Professors Larry Bank and Jeffrey Russell, along with Associate Professor Mike Oliva, collaborated on developing the FRP technology for use on bridge decking systems. The systems have the potential to lower bridge replacement costs because the material corrodes less than traditional bridge decking materials. CEE graduate student Adam Berg worked on the bridge project as part of his studies.