Modular FRP-steel bridges for the UK road network

In response to the UK's ageing bridge stock, fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks are increasingly attractive as lightweight, prefabricated and low-maintenance alternatives to steel or reinforced concrete bridges. To those ends, the costs, embodied carbon, tyre load fatigue performance and end-of-life strategies of FRP decks must be addressed to enable their wider uptake. Through a National Highways-funded project, researchers from University College London, with support from COWI, have developed a design package for a modular FRP-steel hybrid road bridge that focuses on the above. The proposed bridge facilitates rapid construction, replacement/reuse of the FRP deck panels and future automation of the design process. This article introduces the design package, including the lessons learned from previous FRP bridges and how they underpinned the project requirements. The article also presents a novel approach to quantifying the carbon savings associated with the rapid construction of the modular FRP bridge due to reduced traffic disruption, which can be applied to other highway structures.