As the demand for resilient and sustainable infrastructure grows, innovative materials and methods are reshaping how we maintain and extend the life of critical transportation assets. The Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center (TRANS-IPIC) is excited to support the pioneering research of Dr. Bassem Andrawes at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that explores cutting-edge solutions for infrastructure repair.
This research project has conducted the first full-scale test in the U.S. on a new class of smart material known as shape memory alloy (SMA) to repair damaged prestressed bridge girders. SMAs can apply prestressing through heating, eliminating the need for mechanical tensioning. The groundbreaking technique offers transportation agencies a powerful, yet simple method to extend the service life of bridges.