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Monday, July 2, 2001
TxDOT to build plastic bridge
First-of-its-kind bridge will mix fiberglass, plastic
By Lety Laurel
Caller-Times

   Plastic seems to be in everything these days, even bridges.
   The Texas Department of Transportation is going to construct the first plastic bridge in Texas. The bridge will span a drainage canal north of Gregory on Farm-to-Market Road 3284.
   "It has not been done before in the state, and it has only had limited application in the nation," said Daniel Stacks, a department engineer. "This is a big step for us."
   While bridges traditionally are made with concrete and steel, the new bridge will have beams made with fiber reinforced plastic, a combination of fiberglass and plastic. The deck, or road surface, will be made of concrete.
   Engineers hope to begin construction by fall on the $617,421 bridge.
   The beams will be made of the same substance as automobiles and boats, but thicker, said Ronnie Medlock, bridge technical services director for the department's bridge division.
   "In many ways, fiberglass is as strong as concrete, if not stronger," Medlock said. "But the challenge of fiberglass is its stiffness. You have to design the bridge so the support won't bend."
   Medlock said the bridge will last about 50 years, the same as a traditional bridge, and will require less maintenance and fewer repairs.
   The bridge design was part of a joint-venture research project with the University of Texas and was funded through the Federal Highway Administration's Innovative Bridge Research and Construction program, Stacks said.
   The university worked for three years to design a bridge that could withstand 80,000 pounds.
   "Strength is not a problem," said Timothy Fowler, M.W. Kellogg adjunct professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas. "These things are extremely strong."
   But the material also is light and easier to build with, he said. After construction, the bridge will be monitored for two years to determine if it has sustained any damage.
   The site was selected because it is in need of repair, it is a small bridge with little traffic, and department engineers volunteered it, said Bill Reitmann, Sinton area engineer.
   The bridge was burned at one time, so it needed to be replaced, he said.
   The bridge will look like traditional bridges; the only difference will be the beams underneath, Fowler said.
   "I think this will be a landmark bridge if it works," he said. "It will be a landmark in the technical world because it will be the first of its kind."


Contact Lety Laurel at 886-3716 or laurell@caller.com

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