Dr. Nabil Grace explains to WDET's Craig Fahle how carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials can double the lifespan of highway bridges.

 Announcements
State and Federal Leaders Visit CIMR
The Center for Innovative Materials Research has generated much interest from State and National Leadership

read more
Press Release
Lawrence Tech wins $1.6 million federal grant to develop new armor for military vehicles

read more
Workshop in Japan
US -Japan Workshop on Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Infrastructure Materials

This event was held Oct. 21-22 Hokkaido University
Sapporo, Japan
Beam Test Videos
On Friday, April 24, 2009 two demonstrations of prestressed box beam bridge failures were held at the Center for Innovative Materials Research (CIMR) on the campus of Lawrence Tech...see the video
Solving the Pothole Epidemic
One of Dr. Grace's many projects includes carbon fibers and how they could potentially replace some of the steel rebars in roads and bridges...Read more (featured in metromode)
CIMR was featured on Modern Marvels
Dr. Nabil Grace and CIMR were featured on the History Channel's Modern Marvels...see the video
In the News:
Grace awarded $800,000 grant for military testing...Read More
Congresswoman Candice Miller

Congresswoman Miller successfully sponsored an amendment to the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction Act which directs the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the cost benefit of using carbon fiber composite materials in bridge replacement projects. 

Read More and see Video from the House Floor

 

Nabil F. Grace Ph.D, PE
 

College of Engineering Dean,

University Distinguished Professor

Director,
Center for Innovative Materials Research

Lawrence Technological University
21000 West Ten Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075

 

Bridge Street Bridge

The Bridge Street Bridge project represents the successful transfer of the technology developed from one of the ongoing research projects conducted at the Structural Testing Center by LTU research team. This research project was funded by the National Science Foundation, Michigan Department of Transportation, American Concrete Institute, Mitsubishi Chemical Functional Co., Tokyo Rope Mfg. Co., Ltd., and the City of Southfield. The research project was conducted under the direction of Dr. Nabil Grace. The Bridge Street Bridge in Southfield, MI, is the first vehicular concrete bridge ever built in the United States that uses carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) material as the principal structure reinforcement. From the surface, the Bridge Street Bridge Project in Southfield, Michigan does not appear to be much different than any other bridge installation. As the sole means of access to the Bridge Street Industrial Subdivision, the project consists of two parallel bridges with one serving incoming traffic and the other, outgoing. Each is constructed of reinforced concrete with similar traffic barrier and sidewalk configurations. This similarity of appearance belies the radical difference in the actual structures with regard to their reinforcement systems and materials.  READ MORE...

 

STUDIES

First Innovative CFRP Bridge in the US
Innovative System of Continuous Pre-stressed Composite Bridges for the 21st Century
Development and Evaluation of Innovative FRP Braided Fabric for Strengthening Infrastructures
CFRP Prestressing Strands
Environment/Durability Evaluation of FRP Composite Strengthened Bridges
Development and Implementation of CFRP Drive Shafts and Suspension System

PHOTO GALLERY

Bridge Construction
Bridge Completion
Bridge Dedication
Bridge Analysis
CFRP Strands
CarboDur CFRP Plates
CFRP Strengthening
External Post-Tensioning


Lawrence Technological University
21000 West Ten Mile Road • Southfield, MI 48075-1058 • © 2013 1.800.CALL.LTU