Sources: FRP Institute, Westfield, Ind.; CP staff
After two years of work with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, state department of transportation and composite manufacturer representatives, the FRP Institute is poised to act on its primary purpose: Promoting the increased use of fiber-based polymer reinforcement in concrete transportation and environmental infrastructure. Fiber reinforced polymer is a generic term for a composite made by combining fibers—typically glass, carbon or basalt—in a matrix reinforced with a polymer, resulting in strong, lightweight material formed into reinforcing bars, grids or mats. When used to reinforce or repair concrete, FRP materials exhibit up to twice the tensile strength of steel reinforcement at 25 percent of the weight and are non-corrosive and non-conductive.
Since chartering in 2022, FRP Institute founder and CEO Richard Krolewski has worked with a leadership team and the AASHTO National Transportation Product Evaluation Program on audits for manufacturers seeking inclusion on DOT qualified vendor lists. “Our mission is to educate the engineering community about the benefits of FRP reinforcement,” he says. “We have developed a program for DOTs, engineering firms and academics that covers the design, installation, handling, chemistry and quality control of FRP reinforcement. Response has been outstanding. Public works officials and their suppliers are interested in building infrastructure with non-corrosive, long-lasting reinforcement.”
FRP Institute seeks to streamline manufacturer audits through paperless documentation retrieval. “We’re undertaking a complete redevelopment of audit criteria to more uniformly adapt to the most proficient codes and standards applicable to DOTs,” notes Auditing/Technical Services Chair Joe Stilwell, P.E., former Maine Department of Transportation fabrication engineer. “Future goals include utilizing our audit reports as approved industry training via the AASHTO Industry Document Repository.”
On the heels of a Q3 2024 brand and website launch, FRP Institute plans to continue to add technical resources and promote educational courses as membership grows. The group’s benchmark presentation for state DOTs is “FRP Reinforcing for Concrete Structures: Design, Installation, Handling, Chemistry and Engineering.”
“We’re building a lot of momentum and adding new FRP producers, suppliers and individuals to our membership,” affirms Krolewski, who has 20-plus years of experience developing certification programs for precast concrete producers and a track with the Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “We believe FRP reinforcement has a significant role to play in building the next generation of infrastructure.”
Joining him and Stilwell on the FRP Institute leadership team are Chair W. Cabell Garbee II, P.E., manufactured products engineer in the North Carolina Department of Transportation Materials and Test Unit; Lead Auditor Rudolf (Rudi) Seracino, Ph.D, M.ASCE, F.ACI, North Carolina State University Civil Engineering, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department professor; and, Codes and Standards Chair Matt Chynoweth, P.E., vice president and National Bridge Discipline Leader for RS&H Inc., Florida-based architectural/engineering firm, and former Michigan DOT chief bridge engineer.
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