Advanced Materials and Technologies for Public Works Infrastructure Projects

Several high-profile incidents have focused attention on deficiencies in the public works infrastructure of the U.S., which includes bridges, tunnels, highways, roads, railroads, airports, canals, dams, dikes, artificial harbors, and some pipelines. The most recent such incident was the collapse of the Interstate 35-W bridge in Minnesota that ran over the Mississippi River in August 2007, which plunged dozens of cars and their occupants into the river, killed 13 people, and caused traffic problems that will continue for years to come. Two years earlier, in August 2005, the levees and floodwalls protecting the city of New Orleans failed at multiple points during Hurricane Katrina, flooding much of the city. The official death toll in New Orleans from the hurricane and flooding was more than 1,300 people, and property damage was in the tens of billions of dollars. The deficiencies are not limited to bridges and levees, and disasters are not always necessary to call attention to the deteriorating state of the U.S. public works infrastructure. The condition of the pavement on highways and roads throughout the country is a case in point. Statistics from the Federal Highway Administration indicate that the percentage of total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on pavements with acceptable ride quality has decreased over the past several years. The overall deterioration adversely impacts travel in many ways, including increased wear and tear on vehicle suspensions and tires; delays associated with vehicles slowing to avoid potholes or other road damage; crashes caused by drivers losing control of their vehicles; and reductions in fuel economy. The solution to many of these problems lies in the construction materials and other technologies used to build and maintain the bridges, roads, and other public works. As of the writing of this report (i.e., November 2007), the cause of the Minneapolis bridge collapse is still unknown, although there is belief that corrosion may have played a role, as it did in the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River between Ohio and West Virginia, which killed 46 people. An investigation found that that the Silver Bridge disaster resulted from stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue in the carbon steel of which the Silver Bridge was constructed. The investigators also claimed that the conditions that caused the collapse could not have been detected in advance unless the bridge had been taken apart and tested. This finding underlines the importance of material selection in ensuring the longevity and safety of public works projects, as well as the importance of nondestructive testing technologies to accurately monitor structural integrity on an ongoing basis. The debate over funding the cost of repairing and upgrading America's infrastructure, which has become more public in the aftermath of the Minneapolis disaster, has highlighted another fact: The financial resources to pay for the needed infrastructure repairs and upgrades, which according to some estimates could ultimately total more than a trillion dollars, are presently unavailable. In particular, the Federal Highway Fund, which is supposed to finance the lion's share of road and safety projects, is expected to have a negative balance by 2010 or 2011. Proposals to finance the cost of bridge repairs by increasing the federal gasoline tax have been met with significant political opposition. As a result of these financial pressures, cost effectiveness should be added to long service life and safety as key criteria for choosing appropriate construction materials and technologies.

• Chapter 1 - Summary
  • Summary Table: US Public Works Infrastructure Market for Advanced Materials and Subassemblies, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Summary Figure: U.S. Public Works Infrastructure Market for Advanced Building Materials and Subassemblies by Major End-User Segment, 2006-2012 (%)
• Chapter 2 - Overview
  • Definitions
    • Public Works Infrastructure
    • Advanced Materials and Technologies
  • U.S. Public Infrastructure Investments
  • Advanced Infrastructure Materials and Subassemblies
• Chapter 3 - U.S. Public Works Infrastructure
  • Infrastructure Conditions and Trends
    • Roads and Highways
      • Numbers and Ownership
    • Current Status and Condition
    • Construction and Maintenance Expenditures
    • Sources of Financing
      • Federal Government
    • State and Local Governments
    • Privatization
    • Railway and Commuter Rail Lines
      • Numbers and Ownership
    • Current Status and Condition
    • Capital Expenditures and Sources of Funds
    • Amtrak
    • Other Government Agencies
    • Privately Owned Railroads
    • Bridges
      • Highway Bridges
        • Current Status and Condition
    • Construction and Repair Expenditures and Sources of Funding
    • State and Local Funds
    • Federal Funds
    • Railway Bridges
    • Current Status and Condition
    • Construction and Repair Expenditures
      • Amtrak
      • State and Local Governments
      • Private Railroads
    • Railroad Tunnels
    • Current Status and Condition
    • Construction and Repair Expenditures
    • Highway Tunnels
      • Current Status and Condition
        • Construction and Repair Expenditures
    • Airports
      • Ownership
      • Current Status and Condition
        • Runways
    • Terminals
    • Construction and Repair Expenditures
  • Figure 21 Estimated Airport Terminal and Runway Construction and Rehabilitation Expenditures, 2006-2012 ($ Billions)
    • Sources of Financing
      • Airport Improvement Program
        • State Grants
        • Individual Airport Finances
    • Dams
      • Current Status and Condition
      • Construction and Repair Expenditures
    • Sources of Financing
      • Federal Dam Safety Legislation Moves Forward
    • Inland Waterways
      • Ownership
      • Current Status and Condition
      • Construction and Repair Expenditures
    • Sources of Financing
    • Levees and Floodwalls
      • Ownership
      • Current Status and Condition
    • Construction and Repair Expenditures
    • Ports
      • Ownership
      • Current Status and Condition
    • Construction and Repair Expenditures
    • Sources of Funding
• Chapter 4 - Market for Advanced Infrastructure Construction Materials and Subassemblies
  • Materials
    • Metals and Alloys
    • High-Performance Steels
      • Properties Versus Competing Materials
        • Applications
        • Commercial Status and Market
    • Mmfx Steel
      • Properties Versus Competing Materials
        • Applications
        • Commercial Status and Market
    • Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements (Superpave)
      • Properties Versus Competing Materials
      • Applications
      • Commercial Status and Markets
    • High-Performance Concrete
      • Properties Versus Competing Materials
    • Applications
    • Commercial Status and Market
    • Geopolymers
      • Properties Versus Competing Materials
      • Applications
      • Commercial Status and Markets
    • Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites
      • Properties Versus Competing Materials
      • Applications
        • Reinforcing Bars
        • Bridge Decks
        • Pilings
        • Railroad Ties
    • Seismic Retrofit
    • Roadside Structures
      • Other Frp Applications
    • Commercial Status and Markets
    • Frp Rebar
    • Frp Bridge Decks
    • Frp Marine Pilings
    • Frp Railroad Ties
    • Seismic Retrofits
    • Roadside Structures
    • Miscellaneous Infrastructure Applications
    • Geosynthetics
      • Properties Versus Competing Systems
      • Applications
        • Road Structures, Runways, and Railway Beds
        • Levees
        • Dams
      • Commercial Status and Markets
    • Smart Materials
      • Properties
        • Optical Fibers
        • Piezoelectric Materials
        • Smart-Tagged Composites
      • Applications
      • Commercial Status and Markets
  • Sub-Assemblies
    • Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Sturctures
      • Properties
      • Applications
      • Commercial Status and Markets
    • Seismic Isolation Bearings
      • Properties
        • Friction Pendulum Bearings
        • Lead Core Rubber Bearings
        • Slider Bearings
        • Fluid Dampers
      • Applications
      • Commercial Status and Markets
• Chapter 5 - Appendix I: Company Profiles
  • Metals and Alloys
    • Evraz Oregon Steel Mills, Inc.
    • Mittal Steel USA Inc.
    • Mmfx Steel Corp. of America
  • High-Performance Cements
    • Lafarge North America
  • Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites
    • Bedford Reinforced Plastics, Inc.
    • Composite Rebar Technologies
    • Conserv Epoxy Llc
    • Creative Pultrusions, Inc.
    • Fibrwrap Construction, Inc.
    • Fyfe Co. Llc
    • Hard Core Composites Llc
    • Hexcel Schwebel Corp.
    • Hughes Brothers, Inc.
    • Infrastructure Composites International
    • Jerol Industri Ab
    • Kansas Structural Composites, Inc.
    • Lancaster Composite, Inc.
    • Lee Composites, Inc.
    • Martin Marietta Composites
    • Polywood Inc.
    • Powertrusion International Inc.
    • Pultrall, Inc.
    • Quakewrap, Inc.
    • Seaward
    • Sika Corp.
    • Strongwell Corp.
    • Sudaglass Fiber Technology, Inc.
    • Tie Tek Llc
    • Tillco Company
  • Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems
    • Acrow Corp.
    • Contech Bridge Solutions Inc.
    • Ohio Bridge
  • Seismic Isolation Bearings
    • Earthquake Protection Systems, Inc.
    • Dynamic Isolation Systems, Inc.
    • R.J. Watson Bridge & Structural Engineered Systems
    • Seismic Energy Products, Lp
  • Geosynthetics
    • Agru America, Inc.
    • Gundleslt Environmental, Inc.
    • Propex, Inc.
    • Strata Systems, Inc.
    • Tencate Geosynthetics North America
    • US Fabrics, Inc.
• List of Tables
  • Table 1 Annual Capital Costs of U.S. Public Works Infrastructure, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 2 U.S. Market for Advanced Infrastructure Materials and Subassemblies, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 3 U.S. Highway Mileage by Ownership, through 2005 (Thousand Miles/% of Total Miles)
  • Table 4 Fhwa Pavement Surface Quality Criteria
  • Table 5 Condition of U.S. Roads and Highways, 2004 (Thousand Miles
  • Table 6 U.S. Highway Expenditures, through 2005 ($ Billions)
  • Table 7 Congressional Budget Office Estimate of Funds Available for Obligation from The Highway Trust Fund, 2006-2009 ($ Billions)
  • Table 8 Toll Road Privatizations
  • Table 9 Projected Total Expenditures on Railway Track New Construction and Rehabilitation, through 2012($ Millions)
  • Table 10 Priia Annual Capital Grants, Fy 2007-2012 ($ Billions)
  • Table 11 Projected Amtrak Expenditures on Track Construction and Rehabilitation, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 12 Future Commuter, Heavy and Light Rail Lines (Miles)
  • Table 13 Projected Expenditures on New Public Transit Rail Tracks, through 2012 ($ Billions)
  • Table 14 Projected Private Railroads' Track Expenditures, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 15 Projected Expenditures on Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation by All Levels of Government, through 2012 ($ Billions)
  • Table 16 Projected Expenditures on Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation by All Levels of Government, through 2012 ($ Billions)
  • Table 17 Highway Bridge Construction and Repair Expenditures Authorized under Safetea-Lu, 2005-2009 ($ Billions)
  • Table 18 Projected Federally Financed Expenditures on Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation, through 2012 ($ Billions)
  • Table 19 Projected Total Expenditures on Railway Bridge Construction, Replacement and Rehabilitation, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 20 Major Bridge Projects Planned by Amtrak, 2006-2012
  • Table 21 Projected State and Local Transit Bridge Expenditures, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 22 Projected Expenditures on Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation by Private Railroads, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 23 Typical Tunnel Rehabilitation Project Costs
  • Table 24 Rail Tunnel Construction, Improvement, and Rehabilitation Costs, through 2012* ($ Millions)
  • Table 25 Highway Tunnel Construction, Improvement, and Rehabilitation Costs, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 26 New Runway Projects in Progress or Planned in The U.S., 2006-2012
  • Table 27 New Airport Terminal Projects in Progress or Planned in The U.S., 2006-2012
  • Table 28 Total Public Spending on Dam Safety, Rehabilitation, and Construction, through
  • Table 29 Total Public Spending on Inland Waterway Rehabilitation and Construction, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 30 Public Spending on Levee Rehabilitation and Construction in The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, through 2012* ($ Millions)
  • Table 31 Market for Advanced Metals and Alloys in Civil Infrasturcture Projects, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 32 Annual Sales of High-Performance Steel for Bridge Applications, through 2012 (Tons/$ Million)
  • Table 33 Annual Sales of Mmfx Rebar for Infrastucture Applications, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 34 Annual Consumption of Superpave Hot Asphalt Mix, through 2012 (Million Tons/$ Millions)
  • Table 35 Hcp Benefits Versus Conventional Concrete
  • Table 36 Types of Hpc Developed under Fhwa Strategic Highway Research Program
  • Table 37 Total Cement Consumption in Bridge Construction and Rehabilitation, through 2012 ($ Billion/Million Tons)
  • Table 38 Total Hpc Consumption in Bridge Construction and Rehabilitation, Hrough 2012 ($ Billion/ Million Tons)
  • Table 39 Total U.S. Geopolymer Consumption in Concrete Infrastlurcture Protective Coatings, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 40 Infrastructure Markets for Fiber Reinforced Polymer, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 41 Commercial Producers of Frp Reinforcing Bar
  • Table 42 U.S. Infrastructure Market for Frp Rebar, through 2007 ($ Millions)
  • Table 43 Companies Involved in The Production of Frp Bridge Decks
  • Table 44 Projected Market for Frp Bridge Decks, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 45 Projected Market for Frp Marine Pilings, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 46 Projected Market for Frp Rairoad Ties, through 2012 (Number of Ties/$ Million)
  • Table 47 Projected Market for Frp Seismic Reinforcement Materials, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 48 Projected Market for Frp Roadside Strluctures, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 49 Projected Market for Frp Materials in Other Infrastrcture Strengthening and Repair Applications, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 50 Infrastructure-Related Market for Geotextiles and Other Geosynthetic Materials, through 2012
  • Table 51 Projected Infrastructure Market for Smart Materials, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 52 Projected Market for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Structures, through 2012 ($ Millions)
  • Table 53 Suppliers of Seismic Isolation Bearings
  • Table 54 Projected Market for Seismic Isolation Bearings, through 2012 ($ Millions)
• List of Figures
  • Figure 1 Public Works Infastructure Components Shares of Total Capital Expenditures, 2006-2012 (%)
  • Figure 2 Advanced Infrastructure Materials and Subassemblies Market Shares, 2006-2012 (%)
  • Figure 3 U.S. Highway Ownership Shares, 2000 Versus 2004 (% of Total Mileage)
  • Figure 4 Condition of U.S. Roads and Highways, 2004 (%)
  • Figure 5 Highway Capital Expenditures, 2006-2012 ($ Billions)
  • Figure 6 State and Local Revenues for Highways, 2005 (%)
  • Figure 7 Ownership of U.S. Railway Tracks, 2006 (% of Total Track Mileage)
  • Figure 8 Trends in Track Related Railroad Incidents/Accidents, 1995-2005 (Number and Rate per Million Train Miles)
  • Figure 9 Amtrak Infrastructure Grants, Fy 2004-2007 ($ Millions)
  • Figure 10 Amtrak Uses of Capital Funds (%)
  • Figure 11 Commuter, Heavy, and Light Rail Capital Expenditures, Fy 2001-Fy 2005 ($ Billions)
  • Figure 12 Expendture on Commuter, Heavy, and Light Rail Track and Systems, Fy 2005 (%)
  • Figure 13 Trends in U.S. Private Railroads' Annual Infrastructure Expenditures, 1997
  • Figure 14 Current Condition of U.S. Highway Bridges, 2007 (%)
  • Figure 15 Federal Highway Bridge Program Budget Authorizations, Fy 1997-Fy 2006 ($ Billions)
  • Figure 16 U.S. Railway Bridges by Type of Owner, 2006 (%)
  • Figure 17 Projected Amtrak Spending on Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation, 2006-2012 ($ Millions)
  • Figure 18 U.S. Railway Tunnels by Owner (%)
  • Figure 19 Condition of Runways at U.S. Commercial Service Airports 2000-2004 (% of Total Runways)
  • Figure 20 Projected Number of Domestic Passengers Using U.S. Airports, 2006-2012 (Millions)
  • Figure 22 Numbers of at-Risk Levees by State, 2007 (Number of Levees)
  • Figure 23 Trends in Cargo Handled by US Coastal and Inland Ports, 2001-2006 (Million Short Tons)
  • Figure 24 U.S. Public Ports' Infrastructure Investments, 2001-2005 ($ Millions)
  • Figure 25 Projected Sources of Financing for Public Port Capital Investments, 2006-2010 (% of Total Funds)
  • Figure 26 U.S. Railway Tie Consumption by Type of Material, 2006 (% of Total Railway Ties)
  • Figure 27 Fiber Reinforced Polymer Infrastructure Market Segments, 2006-2012 (%)
  • Figure 28 Trends in Number of New Frp Bridge Decks Installed in The U.S., 1996-2006 (Number of Decks)