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The World’s First Thermoplastic Bridges made of Recycled Plastics

The World’s First Thermoplastic Bridges made of Recycled Plastics. John S. Kim , PhD, PE, Senior Professional Associate, Parsons Brinckerhoff October 10, 2013. U.S. Highway Bridges. 600,000 highway bridges in U.S. One third of them built immediately after World War II

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The World’s First Thermoplastic Bridges made of Recycled Plastics

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  1. The World’s First Thermoplastic Bridges made of Recycled Plastics John S. Kim, PhD, PE, Senior Professional Associate, Parsons Brinckerhoff October 10, 2013

  2. U.S. Highway Bridges • 600,000 highway bridges in U.S. • One third of them built immediately after World War II • The use of deicing material • Increased traffic volume and weight • Structurally deficient or functionally obsolete

  3. Bridges in Trouble • $229 billion bridge issue • When people in ties and suites frequently appear under the bridges, it means a serious business! • 60 percent of 600,000 US highway bridges are short-span bridges.

  4. Why Recycled Plastic? • Plastic waste: global issue • 100 million tons each year worldwide • Hard to degrade • Recycled plastics are hardly reused. • Enhanced properties from constant R&D • Collective efforts for green solutions • Governments’ incentives on the use of green products

  5. From Wasteful to Useful

  6. Thermoplastic Composite • Recycled Plastic • Immiscible Polymer Blend • High Density Polyethylene with Polystyrene or Polypropylene coated glass fibers

  7. Product Advantages Green Product (Recycled Plastic) No Corrosion, Rotting or Insect Infestation Reduced Landfill Dumping Good Toughness Characteristics No Chemical Additives Green House Gas Savings Reduced Maintenance Sustainable & Durable Cost Competitive: Initial and Life Cycle

  8. Thermoplastic Properties • Weight: 55pcf (Wood: 60pcf; Concrete: 150pcf; Steel: 490pcf) • Specific Gravity: 0.85 – 0.90 • Elastic Modulus: 350,000 psi • Allowable Flexural Stress: 600 psi (Ult. = 3,000 psi) • Allowable Compressive Stress: 600 psi (Ult. = 2,500 to 4,300 psi) • Allowable Shear Stress: 350 psi (Ult. = 1,500 psi) • Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: 0.0000282 in/in/deg F

  9. Typical Stress/Strain Curve

  10. Design Considerations • Ultraviolet Degradation: Less than 0.003 inches/year (in full sun exposure) • Moisture Absorption: Virtually impervious, retains properties in humid and wet environments • Thermal Resistance: Heat deflection temperature is 125 deg C and material viable to -125 deg C • Environmental Resistance: Resistant to attack by marine borers, insects, rot and corrosion • Acid Resistance: Resistant to most acids and salts

  11. Design Considerations (Cont’d) • Creep: High Factor of Safety with respect to Ultimate Stress lowers creep considerably • Abrasion: Highly Resistant to salts and sand occurring in Marine environments • Skid Resistance: Coefficient of Friction = 0.5 with Tire (can be improved with surface texturing) • Abutment Backfill: Prefer light weight material • Color: Basic color is Graphite but can be produced in Gray, Beige, etc.

  12. Fire Retardant Testing

  13. Bridge Applications

  14. Fort Leonard Wood, MO 1998 W = 26 ft; L = 24 ft Max Load = 25,000 lbs.

  15. Wharton State Forest, NJ * Length - 56 feet * Live Load - HS 20 2002

  16. Fort Bragg, NC Load Bearing Capability M1 Abrams Tank on the Bridge 2009

  17. Fort Bragg Construction Pile Cap Installation Driving RSPC piles

  18. World’s First Railroad Bridges Fort Eustis, Virginia 2010 Bridge No. 3 Bridge No. 7

  19. World’s First Railroad Bridges Fort Eustis, Virginia Bridges No. 3 and No. 7 • Live Load: Cooper E60 and 260 Kip alternate loading with 20% impact • Deflection: L/600 • Length of Piles: about 45 feet • Capacity of piles: 17 – 20 tons in end bearing per Pile • Abutments: Existing timber abutments retained • RSPC Elements: Railroad ties, curbs, girders, shear blocks, pier caps, piles and transverse connectors

  20. Fort Eustis, VA Typical Section

  21. Fort Eustis Construction Driving RSPC Piles Splicing Pile Cap Installation

  22. Fort Eustis Construction Transportation Installation Storage

  23. Fort Eustis, VA Competed Bridge No. 3

  24. Fort Eustis, VA Completed Bridge No. 7

  25. Live Load Testing

  26. Fort Eustis, VA Deflections Bridge No. 3 Bridge No. 7

  27. Scotland Highway Bridges 2011

  28. Scotland Highway Bridges

  29. Scotland Highway Bridges

  30. Scotland Highway Bridges

  31. Maine Highway Bridge 2011

  32. Maine Highway Bridge Before - 3 ft Culvert After - 13 ft Bridge

  33. Maine Highway Bridge Abutment Backfilling Piles and Pier Cap

  34. Ohio Highway Bridge Exiting Bridge-Deteriorated Superstructure

  35. Ohio Highway Bridge New Bridge-Plan View

  36. Ohio Highway Bridge New Bridge - Elevation

  37. Ohio Highway Bridge Typical Section

  38. Ohio Highway Bridge Pile Driving

  39. Ohio Highway Bridge Beam Installation

  40. Ohio Highway Bridge Deck Installation

  41. Ohio Highway Bridge Opened in December 2012

  42. Other Applications

  43. Railroad Ties and Switch Set

  44. Retaining Walls

  45. Sound Walls

  46. More Applications • Marinas • Fenders • Jetties and Piers • Platforms and Boardwalks • Temporary Reusable Bridges • Culverts

  47. Acknowledgement • Producer: Axion International, Inc. • Designer: Parsons Brinckerhoff • Inventor: Rutgers University

  48. Conclusions Green, Sustainable and Durable Environmentally Beneficial Vast Areas of Application Accelerated Construction Minimal Maintenance Cost Competitive

  49. Questions?

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