FiberSPAN Decking Used in Rails-To-Trails Project to Renovate Abandoned Pennyslvania Trestle Bridge


DAYTON, Ohio – Pennyslvania’s Broad Top Township chose Composite Advantage’s FiberSPAN Fiber Reinforced Polymer bridge deck product to repurpose an abandoned trestle bridge. The bridge is a key component of a 4-mile span of public trail connecting Hopewell and Tatesville, counties that intersect with two public parks. The project is part of the Rails-To-Trail Conservancy effort to revive unused rail corridors nationwide to support a growing network of recreational trails.



Design requirements dictated support on just two girders spaced at 10 ft. along with a 5-in. bridge deck depth needed to meet deflection criteria. CA technicians molded an additional 2 in. step to the bottom of the deck at each girder location.



“Unlike conventional bridge decks, old structures like the HBT trestle bridge use girder flanges with rivet heads on top,” says Scott Reeve, president of CA. “To properly seat the FRP deck we molded a spacer into the structure to ensure the deck would clear the rivet heads. The design flexibility of FiberSPAN allows us to effectively tackle these types of engineering challenges.”



A Broad Top Township construction crew bolted down the FRP deck panels to threaded shear studs welded to the tops of the girders. CA provided a flat seating surface for a seamless, integrated fit inside the rivets along the structure’s girders. Fifteen FRP deck panels took just three days to install. CA integrally molded steel box tubing inside its FRP sandwich panels to provide a high-strength load path and support railing posts.



The HBT trestle bridge and trail segment opened to the public in November 2014. The 350 ft. long, 13 ft. wide structure spans a gorge providing safe access to the region’s natural attractions.



Composite Advantage is the leading manufacturer of very large Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite parts, up to 100 feet, for structurally demanding applications and corrosive environments. CA combines its unique knowledge, innovative design, field experience and efficient manufacturing processes to support its core products - zero maintenance bridges and bridge decks. CA’s other product lines include vehicle bridge decks to handle fully loaded 90,000-pound truck-trailers; temporary road mats for energy exploration; and waterfront infrastructure for US Navy bases.



Visit www.compositeadvantage.com or contact CA at 937-723-9031 or info@compositeadvantage.com.



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