Bridge of the future near Rzeszów
Photo: PAP 2016 / Damian Szczepek
Designers, engineers and authors of pioneering technology invited to take the first steps on the bridge of the future, built with composite materials. Rzeszów University of Technology and Warsaw University of Technology conducted research in the consortium Com-bridge under the leadership of Mostostal Warszawa.
Construction of the crossing was co-financed by the program "Demonstrator+" of the National Centre for Research and Development. The first Polish composite road bridge is the result of close cooperation between industry and science.
The spans of the bridge in Błażowa near Rzeszów have the world\'s largest span. The bridge was built with materials commonly used in aerospace, aviation, automotive and sports industries. Glass and carbon fibres used to create a composite are the basis for the construction of Formula 1 cars. Thanks to these fibres, the structure is lightweight, yet durable and resistant to corrosion.
Fibre-reinforced polymer, commonly referred to as FRP, was used for the construction of the bridge beams. The material was made by surrounding the reinforcement in the form of glass and carbon fibres with resin. Synergy effect comes into play, because the parameters of the composite are not a direct result of the properties of its components. Samples of the innovative material were tested by engineers from Warsaw University of Technology. Bridge engineers confirmed that the composite has a higher durability and higher density as compared to those traditionally used in construction. In addition, it does not corrode like steel or erode like concrete.
These unique characteristics of the composite allowed to make the large parts of the bridge. Beam prototype was tested on the testing machine at Rzeszów University of Technology. Proper beams were made by Mostostal based on the formula tested by scientists. In the production of beams, engineers used vacuum resin infusion process. Beams could be quickly installed in Błażowa, using equipment with a lower capacity than in the case of conventional structural elements.
Currently there are only a few bridges of similar design in the world. Two are located in Australia, two in Spain and one in the US. In Poland, it is the first object built in this technology. The composite span length is 21 m. The bridging plate is made of lightweight concrete reinforced with FRP bars, which is also a unique solution.
"The construction of the first Polish FRP composite bridge is the result of the enormous effort of the companies and research institutes involved in the project - from materials research, setting new design assumptions, development of production technology, to testing of prototype bridge elements" - said Juliusz Żach, head of R&D at Mostostal Warszawa. He added that the results of the work on the crossing in Błażowa are a milestone in Polish bridge engineering.
The bridge was commissioned at the end of last year, and the bridge opening ceremony attended by the authorities of the district of Rzeszów took place on February 9.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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