Second webinar on ASCC bridge girder to be held June 27

The second and final webinar in the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC) Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Bridge Girder Webinar series will be held June 27 from noon–1 p.m. To register for the webinar highlighting the future installments and next generation of the GBeam, visit the TIDC website

GBeam technology is corrosion-resistant and designed to last over 100 years with little to no maintenance. The composite tub girders are lightweight, weighing as little as one-quarter the weight of steel girders. From the environmentally conscious materials and low maintenance during a longer life cycle expectancy to the faster and less disruptive installations, this technology is a promising, sustainable, low-cost alternative to steel and concrete.

“This technology packs small, packs light, and can be deployed very quickly and easily,” said Habib Dagher, executive director of the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC). “The girders are designed to be stackable, which reduces transportation costs and lowers their carbon footprint.” 

TIDC researchers have collaborated with AIT Bridges to create the next generation of G-Beam. The first installation of the double t G-Beam is planned for fall 2022 in Hampden, Maine.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ERDC and the U.S. Department of Transportation provided funding for the research through the TIDC. 

The TIDC is a consortium of six New England universities, led by UMaine, and is the 2018 Department of Transportation Region 1 University Transportation Center located in the ASCC. TIDC is dedicated to developing innovative and sustainable solutions to the transportation infrastructure problems in New England and nationwide.