Target Completion Date: June 13, 2019 Structures
Carbon fiber composite cables (CFCC) are an excellent substitute for steel strands in bridges as they are not prone to corrosion while capable of exhibiting high tensile strenths.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will use CFCC as the prestressing strand, functioning as the high strength reinforcement, in the beams of a bridge the agency is replacing in Halifax County.
The bridge has two continuous spans – each 85 feet, five inches long – with four 45-inch-tall prestressed bulb-tee beams in each span. The CFCC strands will run through the base of each beam from end to end.
The Federal Highway Administration awarded VDOT a $283,250 Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment grant so VDOT could study the performance the carbon-fiber composite cable in this structure.
VDOT researchers will provide technical assistance in the production of the beams, monitor the construction, test concretes, study the performance for two years and publish the results in a report.
Last updated: July 5, 2023