WHY NOT PLASTIC BRIDGES?

CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED OVER RECENT YEARS IN THE USE OF STRUCTURAL PLASTICS FOR BUILDINGS, BOATS, AND AUTOMOBILES, BUT FEW ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO CONSTRUCT BRIDGES OF REINFORCED PLASTICS. FACTORS INHIBITING THE USE OF PLASTICS IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION INCLUDE HIGH MATERIAL COSTS, UNKNOWN MATERIAL PROPERTIES, AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH DESIGN PROCEDURES. DESIGN EXAMPLES OF TWO 80-FOOT SPAN, POST-TENSIONED, STRUCTURAL PLASTIC BRIDGES FOR PEDESTRIANS ARE PESENTED AND COMPARED WITH SIMILAR BRIDGES BUILT WITH STEEL, CONCRETE, AND ALUMINUM. MATERIALS COST DIFFERENTIALS ARE DECREASING WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN PLASTICS MATERIALS, BUT AT THE PRESENT TIME, STRUCTURAL PLASTICS ARE NOT ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE WITH CONCRETE AND METALS FOR GENERAL-PURPOSE BRIDGES. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • PROC PAPER 9143
• Authors:
  • McCormick, F C
• Publication Date: 1972-8

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1757-67
• Serial:
  • Journal of the Structural Division
  • Volume: 98
  • Issue Number: st 8
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Bridges; Costs; Materials; Plasticity; Plastics; Reinforced plastics; Structural materials
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00217237
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 13 1972 12:00AM