Life-cycle cost and life-cycle assessment analysis at the design stage of a fiber-reinforced polymer-reinforced concrete bridge in Florida

To support and promote the deployment of innovative technologies in infrastructure, it is fundamental to quantify their implications in terms of both economic and environmental impacts. Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strands are validated corrosion-resistant solutions for Reinforced Concrete (RC) and Prestressed Concrete (PC) structures. Studies on the performance of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforcement in seawater and salt-contaminated concrete have been conducted and show that the technology is a viable solution. Nevertheless, the economic and environmental implications of FRP-RC/PC deployment have not been fully investigated. This article deals with the Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses of an FRP-RC/PC bridge in Florida. The bridge is designed to be entirely reinforced with FRP bars and strands and does not include any Carbon Steel (CS) reinforcement. Furthermore, the deployment of seawater concrete in some of the elements of the bridge is considered. LCC and LCA analyses are performed at the design stage. Data regarding equipment, labor rates, consumables, fuel consumption, and disposal were collected during the construction phase, and the analysis was refined accordingly. The FRP-RC/PC bridge design is compared with a traditional CS-RC/PC alternative. Salient differences are discussed to determine the least-impactful solution from both an economic and environmental perspective.