Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge deck life-cycle cost analysis

A model was developed to compare the life cycle cost (LCC) of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge decks with steel reinforced concrete (SRC) bridge decks. The objective was to analyze the viability of FRP for certain bridge deck projects.;Current LCC models of FRP bridge decks versus SRC bridge decks consider only manufacturing and erection costs in the cost calculations. They do not consider one of the most important advantages of FRP for construction, which is its light weight. The proposed model includes the cost savings in support structures when FRP is chosen as opposed to SRC, as well as the user costs occurring during bridge installation, maintenance, repair, and disposal processes. A computer program, FRP Bridge Deck LCC Analyzer, was developed for conducting the comparison analysis. The program incorporates the service life estimation of the FRP deck based on the Factor Method. An LCC comparison between FRP bridge deck and SRC bridge deck was developed for a Base Case.;Three case studies of bridges in West Virginia were performed using the program. Sensitivity of certain parameters including FRP manufacturing cost and average daily traffic (ADT) were studied. The results suggest that FRP bridge deck was economically viable to replace concrete bridge decks for Goat Farm, Katy Truss, and La Chein bridge deck projects.