‘Space-age technique’ used to strengthen Phoenix bridges

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has used what it calls “a space-age technique” to repair and strengthen concrete girders on two freeway bridges in Phoenix.

ADOT used carbon fiber strips coated and strengthened with polymer to fix girders on an Interstate 17 bridge over 19th Avenue and a bridge that carries Jefferson Street over I-17.

Both bridges had been struck by over-height vehicles and ADOT says the work completed in May allowed it to remove the 19th Avenue bridge from a list of structurally deficient bridges.

The Jefferson Street bridge wasn’t on that list.

The work used a carbon-fiber process developed by QuakeWrap Inc. of Tucson.

The contractors were FNF Construction Inc. of Tempe and FRP Construction LLC of Tucson.