Research on the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials for bridge decks and superstructures has been ongoing since the 1980s. Vehicular bridges have been in service since 1996, and pedestrian bridges, longer than that. This paper focuses on vehicular bridges, of which many were funded by the Federal Highway Administration's Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program or other funding initiatives. The objective is to summarize where the projects are, who supplied them, how they were constructed, what the benefits of using FRP were, what lessons can be learned, and what the projects cost. A review of this information should be useful to civil engineers or bridge owners who want to assess the state of the practice and make a judgment about using FRP for bridge decks or superstructures.
Abstract