What does bridge strengthening with carbon fiber involve?

Structural concrete repair at girder and bearing locations, followed by carbon fiber reinforced polymer strengthening.

Can beams damaged by vehicle impact be repaired?

Yes. Delta repairs AASHTO beams struck by traffic, using carbon fiber wrap with fiber anchors for additional strengthening.

Does FRP help with corrosion on piers and columns?

Composite wrap provides protection from corrosion, and additional capacity for columns and piers.

Which departments of transportation has Delta worked for?

Delta Structural Technology has carried out bridge repair and FRP strengthening for the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana departments of transportation — among them TxDOT US 183 and Loop 12, TxDOT I-30, Louisiana DOTD LA 27 at I-10, the LA 182 Berwick Bay Bridge and US 278 at Fourmile Creek for Mississippi DOT.

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Bridge Strengthening

Spans strengthened and repaired with the road still open beneath the crew.

Delta Structural Technology was one of the first companies in applying external strengthening composite systems for the repair of bridges. Delta has years of experience with working with the Departments of Transportation to provide emergency repairs to bridges when scheduling and lane closings of highways are a major issue. These repairs are scheduled and completed with the importance of safety, limiting the disruption of transportation, and allowing access of the highway systems as soon as possible.

Working over live traffic

A bridge is scheduled around the road, not around the crew. Composite systems suit that constraint because of what they are not: there is no structural steel to crane in over a carriageway, no welding above traffic, and almost no added dead load on a structure that is already short of capacity. The material goes on by hand, in plies a few millimetres thick, and the lane goes back into service as soon as the system has cured.

A span that has to carry traffic on Monday is a different problem from one that can be closed.

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Scope

Load Rating
Solve increased load ratings and extend the service life of a structure that cannot be taken out of use.
Girders and Bearings
Structural concrete repair at girder and bearing locations, followed by carbon fiber reinforced polymer strengthening.
Impact Damage
Repair of AASHTO beams struck by traffic, using carbon fiber wrap with fiber anchors for additional strengthening.
Corrosion
Composite wrap for protection from corrosion, and additional capacity for columns and piers.
Emergency Repairs
Repairs planned so that disruption to the highway is limited and access is restored as soon as the work allows.
Seismic Retrofit
Seismic retrofit of structural components on transportation structures.

Bridge rehabilitation for state DOTs

Delta Structural Technology has carried out bridge repair and FRP strengthening for the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana departments of transportation, and for counties and contractors on their bridge programs.

TxDOT US 183 and Loop 12 — concrete beam repair and carbon-FRP work, with the repair limits and the extent of external reinforcement coordinated as the scope grew beyond the original drawings.
TxDOT I-30, Texas — bridge rehabilitation on night closures: repaired beam surfaces prepared and horizontal FRP and U-wraps installed within the highway closure window.
Louisiana DOTD, LA 27 at I-10 — prestressing-strand splicing and tensioning, haunch grouting, epoxy injection and carbon fiber reinforcement on one overpass.
Berwick Bay Bridge, LA 182, Louisiana — structural concrete patching, epoxy injection, CFRP strengthening and painting across the approach spans and main truss area.
US 278 at Fourmile Creek, Mississippi — FRP strengthening of bridge bents, with shop drawings and product data reviewed and accepted by Mississippi DOT.
I-55, Carroll County, Mississippi — bidirectional FRP fabric matched to the plan requirements and the agency’s minimum tensile force per layer.
Indiana DOT — glass-FRP wrap with a UV-resistant finish over twelve repaired bridge-pier columns.
New Hanover and Pender County, North Carolina — carbon fiber under bridge slab joists with drilled carbon fiber anchors, installed from barge-based scaffolding.

Questions

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Questions for Delta Structural Technology

Can a bridge stay in service while it is strengthened?: A bridge is scheduled around the road, not around the crew. Composite systems suit that constraint because of what they are not: there is no structural steel to crane in over a carriageway, no welding above traffic, and almost no added dead load on a structure that is already short of capacity. The material goes on by hand, in plies a few millimetres thick, and the lane goes back into service as soon as the system has cured.
What does bridge strengthening with carbon fiber involve?: Structural concrete repair at girder and bearing locations, followed by carbon fiber reinforced polymer strengthening.
Can beams damaged by vehicle impact be repaired?: Yes. Delta repairs AASHTO beams struck by traffic, using carbon fiber wrap with fiber anchors for additional strengthening.
Does FRP help with corrosion on piers and columns?: Composite wrap provides protection from corrosion, and additional capacity for columns and piers.
Which departments of transportation has Delta worked for?: Delta Structural Technology has carried out bridge repair and FRP strengthening for the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Indiana departments of transportation — among them TxDOT US 183 and Loop 12, TxDOT I-30, Louisiana DOTD LA 27 at I-10, the LA 182 Berwick Bay Bridge and US 278 at Fourmile Creek for Mississippi DOT.

Project briefs

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