Bio-based composite pedestrian bridge. Part 2: materials and production process

The Bio-based composite bridge is a 3TU project which aims to design and realize a 14m span pedestrian bridge made from fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) and which is introduced in part 1 of this paper. Part 2 will focus on various studies about bio-based materials, which are suitable for structural applications: this includes bio-based resins, bio-based fibres, bio-based core materials as well as bio-based coatings. In order to understand the mechanical behaviour of different material combinations various tests (tension, compression, bending as well as moisture absorption) are carried out. In addition different production processes are evaluated to find the optimal technique for the selected design and material choices.