# Transition Effects in Bridge Structures and Their Possible Reduction Using Recycled Materials
## 5 Detailed Overview
### Properties and Use of Polymers in Bridge Structures
Polymers like polyurethane or rubbers are employed to enhance traction on bridge surfacing, enhancing safety for pedestrians and vehicles. Finally, polymers can be used as fiber-reinforced materials to improve the strength and durability of bridges [184; 185; 186; 187; 188; 189; 190], for instance, epoxy resins reinforced with glass or carbon fibers. The reinforcement of structures with polymer materials has long been popular [184; 185; 186; 187; 188; 189; 190]. In composite materials, glass, carbon, basalt, oramid fibers are used as reinforcing fibers [164; 167; 197; 77]. These materials possess excellent mechanical properties like high strength and rigidity, allowing for their usage in various applications [167]. Carbon fibers are among the most commonly used polymer-based materials for reinforcing structures [167; 185; 197; 198]. They exhibit high tensile strength and a high modulus of elasticity. The fibers are highly resistant while remaining lightweight, making them an ideal material for bridge structures. The use of carbon fiber helps to reduce the mass of the structure, subsequently lowering production, transportation, and assembly costs. The process of reinforcing structures with carbon fibers usually involves placing a mat or mesh of carbon fiber on the structure's surface and saturating it with epoxy resin, bonding the carbon fibers to the structure [185; 197; 198]. This process can be applied to reinforce concrete structural elements such as columns and beams, as well as wooden and metallic elements. Several concepts have been developed so far for creating composite materials using fiber-reinforced polymers [199; 181; 189; 180; 170; 171; 172; 173; 174; 175; 176; 177; 178; 179; 181]. Glass, carbon,ramid, or basalt fibers are used as dispersed fibrous reinforcement in these materials [133]. Research on such fiber-reinforced materials can be found, among others, in the studies [199; 200; 201; 202; 203; 204; 205]. When reinforcing structures with glass fibers, the process is similar. While glass fibers have slightly lower strength than carbon fibers, they are more cost-effective and flexible, allowing for their use in reinforcing more complex structural shapes [167; 179; 180]. Aramid fibers like Kevlar are also popular materials for structural reinforcement [167; 206]. These fibers are highly durable and possess outstanding resistance to abrasion and perforation. Reinforcing structures with polymer-based fiber materials can improve their strength in extreme conditions like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Due to their strength and rigidity, these materials are excellent candidates for use in construction projects such as bridges. Polymers have been extensively used in bridge and embankment construction [66; 67; 68; 161; 163; 195; 198; 207; 208; 209; 210; 211; 212; 213]. Their application is known in hydro-insulation and surfacing [214; 215; 216]. For reinforcing embankments, geopolymers (geosynthetics) are particularly effective, especially in transition zones [66; 67; 68; 207; 208; 209; 211; 212; 213; 214; 215; 216; 217; 218; 219; 220; 221; 222; 223]. Initially, soil reinforcement was carried out using steel bars. The primary drawback of this solution, mainly in terms of durability, was the corrosion of the reinforcement. The use of reinforced concrete layers is also considered more historical. Currently, soil reinforcement primarily involves various forms of geotextiles [62] due to their advantageous properties and application aspects. Geosynthetics are synthetic materials used in geotechnical engineering to improve soil properties and geotechnical structures [62; 220; 224]. Geotextiles are one type of geosynthetic characterized by a low unit weight and high tensile strength [66]. Materials commonly termed geosynthetics are employed for soil reinforcement [66; 67; 68]. There are various types of geosynthetics used based on specific needs, including geogrids, geotextiles, geomembranes, and geocomposites [207; 208; 209; 210; 211; 212; 213; 214; 215; 216; 217; 218; 219; 220; 221; 223].