Project Summary

Transportation infrastructure is the backbone of our economy. But the current condition of America’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure network has raised serious concerns on safety, quality of life, and economic impacts. According to the recent American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2021 Report Card America’s Infrastructure scores a C-. According to the report, in Rhode Island, the condition of our bridge infrastructure is still rated a D-. Hence, there is an immediate need to adopt modern technologies and durable materials in these infrastructure components. Improvement of the health of our infrastructure depends on the development of innovative technology to build next-generation of durable infrastructure for a long-term solution. The central objective of this project stems from the above-mentioned concerns towards strengthening our degraded bridges using strong and durable 3D-printed composite materials. Overall, it is anticipated that the outcome of this comprehensive project has the potential to define a new paradigm toward the efficient strengthening of our bridge infrastructure.