New Generation of Reinforcement for Transportation Fiber-reinforced polymers, MMFX Infrastructure

steel, stainless clad steel, and stainless steel materials are paving the way to dramatically increase concrete durability and ser vice life
Highway Administration (FHWA) and state departments of transportation (DOTs). Nontraditional reinforcement Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP), stainless steel, stainless-clad steel, and MMFX steel bars comprise the new generation of concrete reinforcing materials being used for durable construction. The service life of these new kids on the block impressively surpasses traditional materials. FRP materials are reported to be significantly lighter, tougher, and more corrosion resistant than traditional reinforcement (see FRP Composite Materials on page 44.) Benjamin Tang, FHWA senior structural engineer in Washington, D.C., offers this concise description of FRPs: As the name implies, advanced fiberreinforced polymer composite is made of fiber reinforcement, resin, fillers, and additives. Fibers provide increased stiffness and tensile capacity. The resin offers high compressive strength and binds the fibers into a firm matrix.

TIM BRADBERRY, TEXAS DOT

Figure 1. During concrete placement, the GFRP bar mat was sufficiently stiff and secure so that the operation progressed at the same rate as conventional reinforced concrete decks. No special handling or equipment was required, other than rubber headed vibrators. Workers noted that the GFRP mat was significantly less slippery than epoxy-coated steel mats which can be treacherous when wet.

By Susan C. McCraven
orrosion resistance is the flag carried by the new generation of reinforcing products marching into todays market, and their formidable performance has the attention of everyone who is concerned with our rapidly deteriorating transportation infrastructure. Americas bridges, overpasses, roadways, and other concrete structures are deteriorating at an unacceptable rate primarily due to corrosion of traditional steel reinforcement. Rust, the product of corrosion, is estimated to cost the American public over $300 billion a year. The Transportation Research Board in a 1998 report, Condition of the Nations Highway Bridges, indicates that over one-third of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient. When carbon (black steel) rebar is exposed to deicing salts or marine

environments, it corrodes and expands to many times its normal size, spalling off the surrounding concrete in the process. The result is the premature deterioration of concrete infrastructure, now the focus of the remedial and new construction efforts of the Federal

LANCASTER COMPOSITE

Figure 2. Installation of Lancaster piles in Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, designed by M.G. McLaren Consulting Engineers.

A615 Steel

MMFX Steel

A615 Steel

MMFX Steel

Figure 3. Corrosion characterization test from Texas A&M University on conventional rebar (left) and MMFX steel (right). Photos show start of corrosion test (top) and 18 days later (bottom).

Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), developed for cable technology, is patented in 10 countries by Tokyo Rope Mfg. Co. of Japan. Tokyo Rope is supplying the external carbon fiber tendons being used in the FHWA supported demonstration project Bridge Street Bridge in Southfield, Mich. This project is the result of research conducted at Lawrence Technological University where continuous, externally draped CFRP tendons are being used in three double-T spans. The carbon fiber composite cable produced by Tokyo Rope possesses high tensile strength (2.14 kN/mm2 [310,000 psi] for 7-strand rope), high tensile modulus, light weight, and high corrosion resistance, states Mitsufumi Matsumoto, vice president for steel products of Mitsui & Co. (USA), which represents Tokyo Rope in the United States. New generation steels Stainless steel, stainless-clad steel, and MMFX steel provide corrosion protection for the reinforcement in concrete structures. However, stainless steel is four to six times more expensive than ordinary carbon steel, while stainless-clad and MMFX steels prices lie between those of stainless and carbon steel reinforcement. Stainless steelCompared with ordinary carbon steel, stainless steel has a much higher chloride tolerance and is easier to fabricate and handle than FRP or epoxy-clad bars. Initial reluctance to using stainless steel was due to its high initial cost. While stainless steel has been used in European concrete structures for over two decades, experience in the United States is limited. Manufacturers of stainless steel reinforcement, like Ameristeel Corp., point to the need to look at the full life-cycle cost of concrete infrastructure to fairly evaluate the benefits of stainless rebar. If maintenance and repair of carbon steel reinforced structures are factored into the economic evaluation, stainless steel emerges as an outstanding choice for designers concerned with concrete durability in harsh environments. The ASTM Specification for Deformed and Plain Stainless Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement (ASTM

MMFX NEW YORK DOT

Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), according to Doug Gremel, director of nonmetallic reinforcement, Hughes Brothers, Seward, Neb., is impervious to chloride-ion attack, and has greater tensile strength and onefourth the weight of traditional black steel. It is transparent to magnetic fields and is nonconductive. (See Gremels discussion in Concrete Perspectives, page 51.) Bob Greene, president of Lancaster Composite, Lancaster, Pa., explains how composite piles use GFRP in the jacket as reinforcing. We use E-glass in the filament-wound epoxy tube (14 inch thick) with a 6000-psi expansive concrete core and finish with a two-part marine coating resulting in a very strong and durable pile (see Fig. 2). Lancaster composite piles initially cost more than regular steel or concrete alone, but overall costs are significantly less if life cycle factors are Figure 4. New York DOT workers apply FRP external reinforceevaluated. ment to columns on the Court Street Bridge in Oswego, N.Y.

Fillers serve to reduce cost and shrinkage. The additives help to improve not only the mechanical and physical properties of the composites but also workability. Fibers generally occupy 30% to 70% of the matrix volume in composites. Fibers can be chopped, woven, stitched, or braided. The most common types of fibers used in structural applications are fiberglass, aramid, and carbon. Fiberglass is the least expensive, and carbon fiber is the most costly. (Aramids are synthetic organic fibers made of aromatic polyamides.)

FRP composite materials

uring the past 5 decades, the composites industry has been through explosive periods of growth. Technology that initially was developed for the aerospace, marine, and corrosion-resistant equipment markets now has been integrated successfully into composite products for structural applications. FRP composites offer several significant benefits to the construction industry, such as optimized design capabilities, faster and easier construction times, and reduced maintenance costs, that stem from the one common principle: Composites are engineered to achieve specific performance standards for an intended application. Composite materials can be designed to provide a wide range of mechanical properties including tensile, flexural, impact, and compressive strength, and corrosion resistance to nearly every chemical and temperature environment. FRP composite materials are often well suited for structural applications as most installations can benefit from products that are lightweight and have oriented strength. Viable FRP composite bridge products are being installed in decks, superstructures, marine piling, and material systems for concrete repair. BackgroundFRP composite products were first used to reinforce concrete structures in the mid-1950s. In the 1980s, interest surged when new developments were launched to use FRP reinforcing bars in concrete that required special performance, such as nonmagnetic properties, or in areas that were subjected to severe chemical attack. Reinforcing bars for concreteCommercially available FRPs use resins designed to resist the corrosive environment of concrete. In addition to being totally resistant to chloride-ion attack, they have a tensile strength 11 2 to 4 times greater than that of steel (depending on whether the fibers are glass or carbon) at only 25% of the weight. Other characteristics include: s High strength-to-weight ratioprovides good reinforcement in weight-sensitive applications s Nonconductiveprovides excellent electrical and thermal insulation s Excellent fatigue resistanceperforms very well in cyclic loading situations s Good impact resistanceresists sudden and severe point loading s Magnetic transparencyis not affected by electromagnetic fields; excellent for use in MRI and other types of electronic testing facilities. FRP rods for prestressingFRP materials used for prestressing strands are made primarily from either carbon or aramid fibers. The first applications in bridge decks were demonstrated in Japan during the late 1980s. All of the products used today are manufactured in Japan. FRP prestressing has demonstrated long-term durability in several bridges in Japan and Germany, and there are plans to construct several FRP prestressed bridges in the United States in the near future. An important step in the development of FRP-reinforced structures is a new ACI document for emerging technology, Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Reinforced with FRP Bars, that reviews available knowledge based on research and field applications of FRP bars worldwide.
John Busel is executive director of the Market Development Alliance (MDA) of the FRP Composite Industry. He has almost 20 years of experience in composite design, manufacturing, and research.

A 955-96) provides material property requirements for stainless bar. Stainless-clad steelA stainless steel clad reinforcement has been developed by Stelax Industries of Dallas. Trade-named Nuovinox, it has the same resistance to corrosion as solid stainless at about a quarter the price (59 cents a pound), according to the manufacturer. Currently Nuovinox is manufactured only in Wales, using a process that results in a bar that has a 1 16 to 1 8 inch thick cladding evenly deposited and metallurgically bonded to the carbon steel core. Stelax claims that this material can be field bent, cut, and welded and that cladding breaks result in only localized corrosion development. An ASTM specification for stainless-clad bar is presently in progress. MMFX steelThis new microstructure steel was developed in 1993 and subsequently patented and commercialized. It has demonstrated superior properties in strength and corrosion resistance, and at lower cost than stainless bars presents an alternative for the transportation infrastructure. Oscar Cano, executive vice president of MMFX, claims that MMFX steel doesnt have the inherent problems of epoxy-coated steel or the high cost of stainless steel. MMFX steel has a patented process that minimizes carbides and the galvanic action that is the main cause of corrosion in conventional reinforcing steel bars. The actual key, however, to this patented steel is in its microstructure, which provides superior performance and good economy. An example of the corrosion resistance of this new steel is shown in Figure 3, photos from corrosion tests conducted at Texas A&M University, which compare performance of conventional A615 steel to MMFX. FHWA and state DOTs The federal government has boosted the use of these new reinforcing materials. Funding from FHWA through the TEA-21 Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program (IBRC) has provided new construction materials the opportunity to meet both federal and state DOT goals of reducing infrastructure maintenance and life-cycle costs of bridges. Here are some examples of state efforts.

FloridaThe Florida DOT has a commitment to explore and implement structural innovations, especially those that reduce corrosion damage and thereby minimize maintenance expense, states Thomas E. Beitelman, senior structural scientist at Tallahassees Structural Research Center. According to Beitelman, extensive experimental research is performed every year in Florida on a wide variety of new materials ranging from composites to corrosion-resistant steel. Currently over two dozen bridge structures that incorporate some element of composite materials are being maintained. One bridge project is underway now where all the reinforcement used will be either composites or corrosion-resistant rebar. New YorkA demonstration project for external reinforcement of six concrete bridge columns with FRP products from six different suppliers is currently underway, according to Jerry S. OConnor, bridge management engineer for NYDOT Region 6 (see Fig. 4). Four of the reinforcing materials were carbon, and two were E-glass. Suppliers were XXSys, SIKA, Master Builders, Fyfe/R.J. Watson, Mitsubishi, and Hardcore. The FRP wraps are intended to provide supplemental external reinforcement to extend the life of deteriorating concrete bridge members until long-term corrective action can be taken. GeorgiaThe Georgia DOT has been investigating the use of alternate forms of concrete reinforcement in both new construction and concrete repair. Paul V. Liles, Jr., state bridge engineer for GaDOT, says, GFRP and stainless steel clad bar are being investigated by our bridge design office primarily through the FHWA IBRC Program. Although new materials are more costly than conventional black bar, they have the material property advantage of being noncorrosive in the presence of chlorides from deicing salts, or in Georgia, reinforced concrete structures exposed to saltwater or marine environments. MichiganFRP reinforcing bars and external tendons have been used in a truck traffic overpass in Southfield, Mich., says Roger D. Till, engineer of structural research at MDOTs Construction and Technol-

Figure 5. New reinforcing materials, such as stainless steel (right) and GFRP (below) are more difficult to work with but result in more durable structures.

Gary Zaffalon Doug Gremel

ogy Division. We have used solid stainless steel rebar in the bridge deck construction of I-696 over Holmes Road in Lansing this year. Michigan has also used aramid fiber reinforcement in bridge decks and stainless to combat corrosion problems from deicing salt used during Michigans harsh winters. We are looking for a service life of more than 75 years from our new bridge decks reinforced with stainless steel before repairs are needed, asserts Till. TexasTimothy Bradberry, transportation engineer with the TxDOT in Austin agrees with fellow DOT engineers: The potential innovative solution to corrosion deterioration of reinforced concrete bridge decks is the use of FRP bars. Bradberry designed a GFRP top mat reinforcement for the Sierrita de la Cruz Creek Bridge near Amarillo (see Fig. 1). Bradberry admits that he would never have chosen to design a bridge deck using FRP bars had I not been directed to do so. He explains the understandable reluctance of bridge engineers who are comfortable with tried-and-true materials

and designs. Designing a bridge deck using GFRP bars is more complicated than with traditional steel bars. An over-reinforced section is required, ensuring that at ultimate load the concrete compressive strain reaches its limiting value long before the FRP bars reach their tension strain limit. KentuckyStephen E. Goodpaster, director of bridge design in Frankfort, states, We have used MMFX and stainless clad bars in a two-span bridge located in Bourbon County and are looking at FRP prestressing tendons to extend the service life and durability of transportation structures. MinnesotaThis state has had good performance from traditional epoxy-coated reinforcing bars since the early 1970s, according to Daniel L. Dorgan, state bridge engineer for MnDOT. MissouriMoDOT is using innovative materials, trying to achieve longer-lasting reinforced concrete bridge decks. According to research and development engineer for MoDOT, John Wenzlick, Missouris first bridge deck using solid stainless steel rebar in

both the top and bottom mats of a concrete bridge deck has been built about 100 miles northwest of Kansas City. Fiber-optic chloride sensors installed on this deck will monitor the corrosion resistance of the rebar. The stainless rebar was about three times as expensive as conventional black steel. Wenzlick estimated cost for this bridge at 64 cents a pound for black bar, 88 cents a pound for epoxy-coated steel, and $2.55 a pound for solid stainless steel. However, Wenzlick adds, The extra cost is well worth it if we never have to worry about corrosion problems and the potholes caused by them within the life of the bridge deck (50 to 100 years). MoDOT is also contracting another bridge deck, to be completed in 2002, using stainless steel clad rebar, which it estimates will cost 1.5 to 1.7 times more than black steel. Also, CFRP rebar was used in a bridge constructed with seven precast concrete panels. If testing goes well, a deck using CFRP may be designed for a future MoDOT bridge, states Wenzlick. VirginiaVirginia DOT is looking at both stainless steel clad bars at the Madison Heights Bypass Project and FRP bars in the top mat of a bridge deck in Franklin County, states Malcolm T. Kerley, state structure and bridge engineer. Infrastructure deterioration is a serious problem, and we need to address all the viable options for materials that will produce more durable concrete structures. Stainless steel was at one time considered too expensive. MMFX looks like a viable option if we can review bonding and corrosion test results. These new reinforcing materials are very promising tools for improved deck performance. Balanced picture David B. McDonald, research engineer with USG Corporation in Illinois, indicates that while the corrosion resistance of new materials is highly desirable for infrastructure durability, there are unknowns. Limitations of these FRP bars for the design engineer are that they are relatively new and have untested long-term durability, unknown long-term creep, untested fire resistance, and higher cost than traditional reinforcing materi-

als. These materials also have elastic and thermal expansion properties different from those of conventional steel, requiring detailed design prior to use. To balance out the picture, McDonald adds, Steel has served very well as a reinforcing material for concrete. Steel exhibits a stress/strain curve that enables ductile failure of reinforced concrete structures, is dimensionally stable, has a thermal modulus similar to that of concrete, is relatively cheap, and maintains strength even under high temperature conditions, such as that occurring during fires. Sami H. Rizkalla, chairman of ACI Committee 440, believes the challenge for FRP reinforcing is to change the mindset of an industry that shies away from risk. The future will be exciting as young engineers design with these new materials in ways we cannot yet imagine. s

To contact companies mentioned in this article: Hughes Brothers, 800-869-0359, www.hughesbros.com, or circle 1 on the reader service card. Lancaster Composite, 717-872-8999, or circle 2 on the reader service card. Market Development Alliance, 914-3813572, www.mdacomposites.org, or circle 3 on the reader service card. Mitsui & Co. (representing Tokyo Rope), 216-586-8650, or circle 4 on the reader service card. MMFX Steel, 866-466-7878, www.mmfxsteel.com, or circle 5 on the reader service card. Stelax Industries Ltd., 972-233-6041, www.stelax.com, or circle 6 on the reader service card.

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