FHWA study tour for advanced composites in bridges in Europe and Japan

Under the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) International Technology Scanning Program, a team of 13 U.S. bridge engineers and advanced composite experts from Federal and State transportation agencies, academia, and industry conducted a 2-week scanning tour of Europe and Japan. The purpose of the tour was to assess the state of technology in the use of advanced composite materials, known as fiber-rein-forced polymers (FRPs) or polymer matrix composites (PMCs), in bridge design and construction. The scanning team visited the United King-dom, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan from 14 to 28 October 1996. The tour included 23 project sites, 1 manufacturing site, and 5 workshops that provided an overview of the developments and applications of PMCs in bridge engineering.