This paper describes a series of bridges and footbridges built in Spain in the last decade using FRP girders. The lessons learnt from each of them are highlighted, so the consequent improvements introduced at each step in the design and manufacturing of FRP girders: open sections instead of close sections, glass-carbon fibre laminates instead of full carbon fibre laminates, resin infusion instead of hand lay-up as manufacturing process. Fibre-reinforced polymer is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually glass, carbon, or aramid. The polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic. The use of FRP materials allows reducing maintenance costs of bridges caused by steel corrosion. This problem, that is common to many countries due to the ageing of their infrastructure stocks, is especially severe in those regions whose environmental conditions are favourable to corrosion phenomena such as coastal and cold climate regions, where de-icing salts are massively used. The weight of FRP materials, normally between 15 and 20 kN/m3, allows manufacturing bridges that weigh less than the corresponding solutions built using reinforced concrete or steel. Light weight greatly simplifies transportation and installation operations. This represents a great advantage in those areas where the number of high capacity cranes is tiny and transportations are difficult due to the poor conditions of the roads, or where rapid assembly is required to avoid traffic disruptions.
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