Bridge 1-351, Delaware’s first state-owned fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) bridge, opened in December 1998.  The bridge, a DTI project, teamed up the talents of many partners, including the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware (UD), the Delaware Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, Anholt Technologies, Inc., Hardcore Composites, and James Julian, Inc., of Delaware.  Last month, the project won an award from the Delaware section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

          Bridge 1-351, situated on Business Route 896 South in Glasgow, is comprised of an all-FRP deck with a latex-modified-concrete wearing surface.  Structurally independent reinforced concrete parapets serve as the crash barrier system.  Research related to its design, materials, fabrication, construction, and monitoring of the FRP deck system was performed at UD.  Photos showing exciting points in the project are provided below.

Additional information about the deck can be obtained by contacting DTI, or by contacting the persons noted below:

Dennis R. Mertz, PhD, PE
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Delaware                                             STRUCTURAL DESIGN/LOADS
Newark, DE 19716
Mertz@ce.udel.edu

John W. (Jack) Gillespie, Jr., PhD
Center for Composite Materials
University of Delaware                                             MATERIALS/FABRICATION/
Newark, DE 19716                                                            EVALUATION ISSUES
Gillespie@ccm.udel.edu

Michael J. Chajes, PhD, PE
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Delaware                                             BRIDGE MONITORING/EVALUATION
Newark, DE 19716
Chajes@ce.udel.edu