1. Advanced Polymer Composites in the Civil Infrastructure
The Evolution of
Advanced Polymer Composites
in the
Civil Infrastructure
Professor Len Hollaway
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Surrey

2. In the civil infrastructure the interest in composites
commenced during the second world war with the
introduction of radomes.
Between 1940 and the late 1960s composites had rather
a chequered career with one-off fun systems being made.
By the late 1960s and into the 1970s composites were
being taken more seriously by the industry and systems
involving load bearing and infill units were being
produced. These were used in conjunction with skeletal frameworks made from steel or reinforced concrete.

3. In 1974 the first all composite GFRP structure using the
building block method was a classroom structure
conceived and erected by Lancaster County Council.
The classroom system was made by hand lay-up using:
Intumescent resins in the laminate external surface.
An integral skin phenolic foam on the inside surface.
CSM glass/polyester composite system.

4. GFRP Composite Class Room System 1974 conceived by Lancashire C.C.

5. In the mid 1980s and into the 1990s the development of
the first automated building block was undertaken by
Maunsell Structural Plastics.
Using this system the following All Polymer Composite
structures were manufactured:
1. Aberfeldy Bridge
2. Bonds Mill Bridge
3. Two storey building – used as offices at the 2nd Seven Crossing.

6. Maunsell Plank and Box Beam Cross-section

7. Aberfeldy Footbridge Bridge

8. Opening ceremony of the Bonds Mill Lift-bridge Gloucestershire

9. Composite Bridge Decks
To replace conventional degraded deck systems in minimum time the development of durable lightweight easy installation systems have been produced in advanced composites.
The system may be used in two forms:
Replacement for existing but deteriorated decks
Used as new structural components on conventional or new supporting structural elements

10. An all composite bridge deck being developed by a European consortium (ASSET) - Section of ASSET deck unit
(By kind permission of Mouchel Consultants)

11. Wickwire Run Bridge - Taylor County, West Virginia, USA
(By kind permission of Creative Pultrusions Inc Alum Bank, PA.)

12. Upgrading and retrofitting of structures and structural units.
Structures may require to be strengthened for a number of reasons.
Design deficiencies
Inferior materials
Poor construction, workmanship/management

13. There is a choice between strengthening [or demolition]
Flexural strengthening
Bonding a plate onto the soffit of the beam
Wrapping with a carbon fibre pultruded plate of prepreg wrap.
Shear strengthening
Bonding a plate onto the vertical sides
Wrapping prepreg around the sides and soffits and if possible around the whole beam

15. Prestressed carbon fibre/epoxy plate bonded to
soffit of cast iron beam (By kind permission of Mouchel Consulting)

16. General view of Hythe Bridge (By kind permission of Mouchel Consulting)

17. Pins
(b)
(a)
(c)
Various systems for wrapping FRP composite on to the sides of a Tee
RC beam.
(a) FRP wrapped entirely around the beam.
(b) FRP wrap in the form of a U (either with or without pin fixings
depending upon bond requirements).
(c) FRP wrap bonded to the two sides of the beam.

18. Reinforced concrete
column
FRP jacket -
fibre in
horizontal
direction.
Main direction
of fibres (in the
hoop direction)
Wrapping of prepreg composite around concrete column

19. Systems that combine advanced polymer composites with conventional materials, in particular, concrete.
The objective is to use the two materials to their best advantage. For instance:-
Concrete is poor in tension
Advanced polymer composite have high tensile strengths
Concrete has a high compressive strength value
Advanced Polymer composites have low compressive reactions because of buckling of the unit, (assuming unit is a thin plate).

20. Hybrid GFRP/CFRP/concrete rectangular
GFRP Permanent shuttering
Concrete
GFRP
CFRP
Hybrid GFRP/CFRP/concrete rectangular
Beam (after Meier & Trantafillou)

21. : Cross-section of Tee beam of composite/concrete construction30
31.08
1.08
3.44
116.02
151.08
140 80
Two plies of +/- 45o GFRP manufactured from XLTM65U prepreg
CONCRETE
4mm plywood plate
Eight plies of 0/90o CFRP from XLTM65U prepreg
: Cross-section of Tee beam of composite/concrete construction

22. Concrete filled filament wound composite tubes
The advantages of these systems are :-
Concrete core prevents buckling of the hollow FRP tube.
FRP tube confines the concrete and increases strength and ductility.
The best characteristics of the individual materials are utilised.
The system was developed for two reasons
To produce non-corrosive columns and piles.
To enhance the ductility of the system.

23. Section of Carbon fibre shell girder showing girder to deck connection
(By kind permission of V. Karbhari and F Seible)

24. Kings Stormwater Channel Bridge Salton Sea, California, USA
(By kind permission of V. Karbhari and Seible UCSD)

25. I-5/Gilman advanced technology bridge to link separate areas of the
Campus at University of California, San Diego, USA
(By kind permission of V. Karbhari and F. Seible UCSD)

26. FRP materials have been successfully implemented
Challenges of FRP material in the construction industry
FRP materials have been successfully implemented
into infrastructure projects – but their long-term
durability (50+ years) required to be investigated.
Substantial amounts of useful information do exist
but it is scattered and not easily accessible.
Effects of sustained stress need to be considered.
Effects of environment on ambient cure systems
need to be considered.

27. The end of
the
History Lesson