Instead of traditional repair methods such as injecting epoxy to rebuild sections of the steel-reinforced concrete girders, crews used an FRP process from QuakeWrap – a member of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and a specialist in using composites to repair infrastructure. The repairs mark the first time ADOT has used CFRP composites to fix girders on state highway bridges.
“We think the carbon-fiber repairs are effective, can extend the lifespan of structures and can be done in much less time than other repair methods,” said ADOT State Bridge Engineer David Eberhart. “We’re likely to use it again if and when repairs are needed.”
ADOT says it invests more than $40 million each year in bridge preservation as part of a program to safeguard the state’s $20 billion investment in its transportation infrastructure. Earlier this year, ACMA and many of its member representatives, including QuakeWrap’s Dr. Mo Ehsani, lobbied for more investments in crumbling infrastructure similar to what the state of Arizona has done.
