What bridge engineers need to know about composites

At the present time, many types of highway bridges are being constructed using various composite materials in different arrangements and configurations. These an classified as demonstration projects to illustrate the potential use of the advanced polymer composites for bridge engineering designs. This paper will discuss the usual design procedures for highway bridges using the conventional materials of steel/reinforced concrete to illustrate the design methodology and responsibilities of the many participants in the total construction process for bridges. Because the engineers who design bridges will be experiencing a change in design thinking a discussion of performance requirements for the total bridge and the need for product standards will be presented. There may be a need for performance requirements as well as prescriptive material standards for future bridge designs using composiste materials.