UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center showed off another of its many innovations last week: the successful testing of the “72-Hour Bridge,” a bridge system that can be built in fewer than three days and is designed to last 100 years with little or no maintenance. The project is part of the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center, a coalition of several universities with UMaine as the lead partner. UMaine recently won a highly competitive $14.2 million grant to establish the center.
The bridge system is targeted to be used for highway bridges, pedestrian bridges, and military applications. The composite bridge withstood forces up to 376,000 pounds and 7.5 times the HL 93 design load specified by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials.
The Advanced Structures and Composites Center is a world-leading, interdisciplinary center for research, education, and economic development encompassing material sciences, manufacturing, and engineering of composites and structures. It includes a testing laboratory with more than 150 full- and part-time personnel.
Click here to view a news story and video about the project.