Innovation tested in San Antonio promises faster bridge repairs
Method uses carbon fiber instead of solely concrete, saving time and money
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SAN ANTONIO – An innovation tested in San Antonio could mean less disruption when it comes to construction projects involving bridges.
A professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio has helped develop a new method to use carbon fiber instead of solely concrete to repair and strengthen bridges.
Many bridges were designed at a time when trucks were smaller, now they’re bigger and carrying heavy loads than ever. That extra wear and tear means more maintenance is needed. And the Texas Department of Transportation has about 55,000 bridges to inspect and maintain every two years, according to UTSA professor Wassim Ghannoum.
San Antonio professor wins award for cracking the concrete code
Camille Sauers for MySA
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There’s a new king in town the king of concrete.
Or at least that’s what some might want to call Wassim Ghannoum, associate UTSA professor and winner of the American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) Wasom Medal, or most meritorious research paper award.
According to UTSA Today, the associate professor in the University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has spent the last 10 years perfecting a unique method to strengthen and repair faulty bridges and other flimsy concrete structures. Documenting his work with carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) and concrete in a research paper for peer review to the ACI, Ghannoum’s decade long developments were lauded with the prestigious accolade.