Courtesy / AIT Bridges
A close-up of the new tub girder that's part of AIT Bridges’ composite bridge system offerings.
August 7, 2019
Brewer company uses composite technology to make ‘100-year’ girder for bridge
Courtesy / AIT Bridges
AIT Bridges has launched a composite “tub girder,” a U-shaped beam the company says is lighter, lower-cost and longer-lasting than typical concrete and steel girders.
By Staff
AIT Bridges, based in Brewer, on Tuesday unveiled a new bridge girder made of composite materials, and says the product is lighter and longer-lasting than traditional concrete and steel girders.
The new component is called a tub girder, and is an extension of the composite bridge systems offered by AIT Bridges, a division of Advanced Infrastructure Technologies.
Long-lasting bridges
The system, developed in cooperation with the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, was created to provide an affordable, long-term solution for traditional steel and concrete medium-span deck bridges. Ultimately, AIT hopes the products will replace concrete and steel girders in the marketplace.
AIT is now manufacturing girders for its first such span, to be constructed in Hampden.
The tub girder is made with a lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer. The girders are supported on standard foundations for bridges that include either a precast concrete panel deck or a cast-in-place concrete bridge deck.
According to the release, the girder can be used for a variety of spans up to 100 feet, and offers several advantages.
• Sustainability: The manufacturing process and installation have a smaller carbon footprint than those of conventional steel and concrete girders.
• Longevity: The girder is expected to last 100 years or more. It is naturally corrosion-resistant and made of materials designed to overcome many environmental hazards. The girder requires little or no maintenance.
• Weight: The girder is 50% lighter than steel and 75% lighter than concrete girders. The weight reduction allows for a decrease in large equipment on the construction site and significantly reduces transportation costs.
• Affordability: The girder is expected to have the lowest maintenance cost in the industry, and a much lower initial cost compared to similar steel and concrete solutions.
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