The project investigated the manufacturability and structural performance of filament wound fiber-reinforced plastic composite bridge structures (Figure 1). The bridge structure consists of two components: a series of inner cells, lying parallel to the direction of traffic, and an outer shell. Following preliminary specimen calculations and the mandrel and fixture designs, finite element analyses were conducted to determine the physical dimensions of the prototype bridge superstructure. Specifications and geometry of the prototype were finalized and designs for the inner cell mandrel and fixtures needed to wind the outer shell and test on the bridge superstructure were completed. Laboratory tests were performed to determine the accuracy of finite element models with promising results. Tests were then performed on three model bridges. Results indicate that the finite element models provide good predictions of the stiffness and strength of the models. These finite element models are being refined by incorporating the results of material tests. The findings of this project need to be further verified with full-scale, actual size bridges in the field.  The final report is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS # PB2002-104355).

The final report for this IDEA project can be found at:
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/archive/studies/idea/finalreports/highway/NCHRP063_Final_Report.pdf