Fiber Reinforced Concrete usage instead of rebar

[BouterT]

I am a recent graduate (BS Civil), airport eng, and EIT. In my last semester of university, I did a major research project on Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC). I know FRC has been used in place of rebar on major projects including Runway 5 at Heathrow International Airport in London. I also know that some state DOT's have specifications for FRc in their codes, and that the same is true of some states buiding codes. Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) has a new code (activated in 2002) that all ductwork be incased in concrete with rebar (with proper cover) to prevent crushing the ducts with the over head loading. I am seeking help with locating such specifications, in order to accomplish 1) an end run around BWI specifications to help improve the Federal governments sluggish acceptance of new technologies, and 2) reduce the cost in labor and materials in future projects, as well as limit the occurance of utility conflict. As anyone who deals with engineering guidelines knows, when you want to go out of spec, you need a mountain of evidence to support your reasoning. It is too late in the process to affect my current project, but I am always looking to the future and ways to advance government regulations that constantly put us behind the construction technology curve. Any information you can cite, relating to FRC used in protective covering, airfield or other trnasportation projects, or technical data showing cost and proformance benefits would be most helpful. Thanks.

John R. Thompson, EIT
Airport Engineer
URS Corp. Hunt Valley, Md.
(410) 785-7220 x402