The FRP Bridge in Friedberg Germany: design, analysis and material tests

Public authorities look for innovative bridge systems that allow for minimum traffic interference both during their assembly as well as maintenance. In this light, bridge deck systems made out of fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) offer promising options, mainly high strength combined with low weight, rapid installation by high degree of prefabrication and resistance against corrosion. On behalf of the Hessian Road an Traffic Authority a design for a bridge was developed, which combines longitudinal steel girders with an adhesively bonded FRP bridge deck. In contrast to other FRP bridges in the US or UK, the composite action is considered. The absence of general accepted structural analysis methods, design codes and building regulations for fibre reinforced polymers necessitates extensive testing programmes. The conceptual design of the bridge, the materialspecific way of analysis as well as the results of the extensive material tests are highlighted in this paper. By the time of writing this paper, the bridge was in tendering phase.