Design and manufacturing of low cost thermoplastic composite bridge superstructures

An integral modular fiber thermoplastic composite bridge structural system is described. The design concept is presented by utilizing a high performance thermoplastic material (i.e. Glass/Polypropylene) along with an efficient low cost manufacturing process and fabrication techniques. The design is based on detailed finite element analyses to investigate the stiffness and strength of the structural system. To demonstrate the design concept, two bridge deck systems with different spans are modeled. The design concept of both decks presents a unique approach for structurally efficient and low cost bridge deck systems.