Financial Viability of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer „FRP… Bridges Halvard E. Nystrom 1 ; Steve E. Watkins 2 ; Antonio Nanni, P.E.,M.ASCE 3 ; and Susan Murray, P.E. 4 Abstract: The application of fiber-reinforced polymer ~FRP! technology to bridges can provide performance enhancements at a time when there is a large and growing need to replace aging bridges in the United States. However, construction costs are significantly higher than with traditional methods, and it is not clear if this technology can become competitive in the standard short-span bridge market. This study investigates current and future costs to determine how cost competitive this technology is likely to become, taking into account the expected improvements in manufacturing, transport, and installation, as well as life-cycle differences. Based on two demonstration FRP bridges and the learning curve approach, the results show that anticipated improvements would not be sufficient to compete on cost with reinforced-concrete bridges. Unless significant improvement also occurs in the cost of component material, this technology will not be cost competitive for the standard short-span bridge, and the application of FRP technology will be limited to other segments of the market, such as bridge deck construction and bridge repair. DOI: 10.1061/~ASCE!0742-597X~2003!19:1~2! CE Database keywords: Bridges, composite; Fiber reinforced plastics; Life cycle cost; Financial management; Cost analysis. Introduction According to a study conducted by Federal Highway Administra- tion ~FHWA!, as of August 2000 ~AASHTO 2001!, 29% of the 587,755 bridges in the United States were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Due to increases in federal bridge invest- ment, the level of bridge deficiency has improved from the 31% reported in 1996. Yet even though federal bridge investments rose from $16.1 billion over seven years to a level of $20.4 billion over six years, the level of deficiency only decreased by 2%. This shows how expensive it will be to reduce significantly the level of deficient bridges. Deficient bridges include two basic types. Structurally deficient bridges are the ones that are closed or re- stricted to light vehicles only because of deteriorated structural components, and in 1998 this accounted for 16% of the nation’s bridges. Functionally obsolete bridges, accounting for the other 13.6% of the inventory, are bridges that cannot safely service the volume or type of traffic using them. These bridges have older design features that prevent them from accommodating current traffic volumes with modern vehicle sizes and weights. Even though the situation has recently improved, there is still not enough funding to upgrade all the deficient bridges. It is estimated that $87.3 billion is required to eliminate the backlog of bridge needs or improve all the bridges that are currently deficient ~AASHTO 2001!. This represents an immense task that will con- sume vast national resources ~Dunker and Rabbat 1993!. In the context of this problem, advanced composites have the potential to provide another promising solution. New technology options in bridge design are being developed from polymers, metals, ceramics, and composites of these mate- rials, and some of these high performance materials are already being utilized in construction. Composites are comprised of sev- eral different basic components that together provide physical characteristics superior to what each can provide separately. While the concept of composites has been in existence for several millennia, the incorporation of fiber-reinforced polymers ~FRP! is less than a century old. These composites combine the strength of the fibers with the stability of the polymer resins. They are de- fined as polymer matrices, either thermoset or thermoplastic, that are reinforced with fibers or other reinforcing material with a sufficient aspect ratio ~length to thickness! to provide a discern- ible reinforcing function in one or more directions. These com- posites are different from traditional construction materials such as steel, aluminum, and concrete because they are anisotropic; i.e., the properties differ depending on the direction of the fibers. Because of the resulting benefits, FRP composite applications have revolutionized entire industries, including aerospace, ma- rine, electrical, and transportation. In 1999, the Composites Insti- tute of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., reported that estimates of composite shipments in 1998 reached 1.68 million metric tons ~Busel 2000!. The distribution of their application is shown in Table 1, and it highlights the wide range of industries in which it is competitive. These products gain their superior characteristics from the component materials used. Their strength comes largely from the fibers, which are usually glass, carbon, or aramid fiber. Benefits of FRP composites include: • Light weight, • Nonmagnetic, • High strength to weight ratio, 1 Assistant Professor, Engineering Management Dept., Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO 65409-0370. 2 Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept., Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO 65409. 3 Vernon and Maralee Jones Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1874 Miner Circle, Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO 65409. 4 Director, Lemay Center for Computer Technology, 9417 S. Broad- way, St. Louis, MO 63125. Note. Discussion open until June 1, 2003. Separate discussions must be submitted for individual papers. To extend the closing date by one month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Managing Editor. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and possible publication on July 27, 2001; approved on June 27, 2002. This paper is part of the Journal of Management in Engineering, Vol. 19, No. 1, January 1, 2003. ©ASCE, ISSN 0742-597X/2003/1-2– 8/$18.00. 2 / JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING / JANUARY 2003