Recent construction of Metro Phoenix light rail transportation system extensions took less time and funding than is typical, boosted the system’s sustainability and kept workers safer. All of that is largely the result of a proposal from Barzin Mobasher, a professor of structural engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Mobasher recommended using fiber-reinforced concrete instead of rebar-supported slabs for the system upgrade. That approach resulted in parts of the process that typically take weeks to instead be completed in hours rather than days. Overall, the project required fewer expenses for construction equipment, concrete shipping and production and building site security, as well as fewer traffic delays.

See Also: Using Fiber-Reinforced Concrete for Phoenix Rapid Transit Construction Reduces Costs and Improves Worker Safety, AZO Materials, May 24

Fiber-reinforced Concrete Speeds Construction, Reduces Costs, Modern Contractors Solutions, 2019 ASU News article reposted on May 25

Rebar is out, fiber is in: Valley Metro finishes light rail slabs for the latest extension, Fronteras (KJZZ), May 25

The article is also posted on Highways Today: Fibre-reinforced Concrete speeds up Metro Phoenix Light Rail Extension Construction, May 26, and AZ Big Media: How ASU-designed fiber-reinforced concrete speeds up construction, May 26