G-ARCH:
Bridge-in-a-Backpack

| A hybrid composite-concrete bridge combining the advantages of advanced composite materials and concrete

AWARDS

  • 2015 White House Transportation Champion of Change Award by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the White House Office of Public Engagement
  • 2011 Charles Pankow Award for Innovation by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
  • 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
  • 2010 Most Creative Product Award by the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA)

TECHNOLOGY

The Composite Arch Bridge System, commonly known as Bridge-In-A-Backpack, has been used in 28 bridges in the U.S. and beyond. This technology accelerates bridge construction time, reduces life cycle costs, and has received top industry recognition. It’s a lightweight, corrosion-resistant system for short to medium-span bridge construction that uses FRP composite arch tubes as both reinforcement and formwork for cast-in-place concrete. The arches are easily transportable, rapidly deployable, and do not require the heavy equipment or large crews required for traditional construction materials. 

DEVELOPMENT

  • Bridge-in-a-Backpack  is licensed to AIT Bridges,  ASCC’s commercialization partner for this technology
  • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)  approval to use the bridge technology in all fifty states.
  • $1.7 million capital raised 
  • 28 projects completed and underway

INNOVATION

Arch technology with construction of low maintenance, joint-free, hybrid composite buried structure

  • Lightweight: Bridge-in-a-BackpackTM  tubes are 1/250th the weight of a 70ft. Concrete girder
  • Longer lasting: composite structural members require no painting, will not rust, crack or spall and have been tested for 75+ years of truck traffic with no loss in strength
  • Safe: extensive laboratory testing demonstrates that Bridge-in-a-BackpackTM  exceeds code requirements 
  • Congestion relief: lighter, modular bridges allow for “Accelerated Bridge Construction” which reduces traffic congestion during traffic construction and mitigates the effect of lengthy construction schedules on economic vitality 

Bridge-in-a-BackpackTM Carbon Footprint Analysis

  • Bridge-in-a-BackpackTM superstructure has 50% of the carbon footprint of a typical concrete bridge.
  • The total carbon footprint of the Bridge-in-a-BackpackTM is 45.71 kg (CO2e/year)/sq m. This is one third less than the carbon footprint of a comparable concrete bridge and one fourth less than that of a steel bridge.
  • A recent report by the Federal Highway Administration concluded that 25.4% (152,316) of all bridges are either structurally deficient, in need of repair, or functionally obsolete. If Bridge-in-a-BackpackTM replaced just 20% of these bridges, the equivalent amount of CO2 emissions reduction would equal taking 230,000 cars off the road.
Printable Brochure

Deployment in Maine

Neal Bridge, Pittsfield, ME (2008)

First generation arch bridge 

  • First bridge in the world constructed using concrete filled fiber reinforced polymer arches
  • Bridge superstructure built in less than 2 weeks 
  • Composites utilized for all major components in superstructure 
  • Structure expected to provide 100+ years of service with very little maintenance 
  • Natural stream bed maintained, no disruption to hydraulics
  • Composite structure cost-competitive with precast concrete and steel alternatives
  • Engineers continue to monitor the bridge

McGee Bridge, Anson, ME (2009)

Second generation arch bridge, cost competitive 

  • Bridge was replaced start to finish in twelve working days
  • Thinner arch walls
  • Lighter weight headwall
  • Improved headwall details
  • New concrete filling technique
  • Improvised construction materials
  • Superstructure construction reduced 
  • Fewer arches–increased arch spacing

Perkins Bridge, Belfast, ME (2010)

  • First bridge completed with 15″ diameter tubes
  • Only 25% more carbon fiber but double the strength

B&A Overhead Bridge, Lagrange, ME (2013)

  • First composite arch bridge system built with staged/phased construction methods.
  • One of the largest skew arch bridges in the world.
  • Largest arch spacing constructed to date.

Recent News

In Civil Infrastructure Durability