Precast Solutions - September/October 2008 - (Page 14) The anchorage at the bridge deck allowed easy replacement of the steel strands with CFCC strands. any fluctuations in pressure, allowing Maine DOT to observe the bridges health without expense, special equipment or interruption to traffic. would require replacement at some point in a 125-plusyear bridge service life, it would be beneficial if the durability of CFRP strands could eliminate that possibility. THE FUTURE OF CFRP The success of CFRP applications at the Bridge Street Bridge and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge potentially sets the stage for even more conventional applications of CFRP in future long-span bridges. Substantial funding for CFRP research and development proves the enormous potential of CFRP applications for bridge structures. At Lawrence Tech, $1.1 million in funding has been provided by the U.S. DOT to develop an AASHTO type girder; MDOT and MECD (Michigan Economic Development Corp.) provided $1 million to develop and evaluate the use of CFRP in prestressed box beam bridges; and NSF provided $320,000 to test the use of pretensioning and post-tensioning of box beam bridges. The transportation industry’s struggle with maximizing the use of limited funding sources requires a constant focus on methods to improve the long-term durability characteristics of our bridge structures. Many new innovative strategies are being investigated as methods of eliminating the potential for corrosion. Given the concern for corrosion of steel elements that Nabil F. Grace, Ph.D., P.E., is a University Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the Civil Engineering Department at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield, Michigan where his is Director of the new Center for Innovative Materials Research (CIMR). Dr. Grace’s work has been published in over 100 national and international journals and conferences, and he has received research funding from numerous state and federal agencies, including a recent $11 million award from the U.S. Army Research Lab to research advanced composite materials under fire and loading conditions. 14 PRECAST SOLUTIONS | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
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