The management of bridges is greatly affected by the material used in their construction as well as for repairs and maintenance, with regard to requirements of performance, durability and quality.

In order to obtain a better understanding of the availability and development of innovative materials in the bridge environment, the Committee embarked on a major investigation of state of the art literature on this very broad subject.

By its nature, such an undertaking is limited by manufacturer's reluctance to divulge information on innovative materials and by the sheer volume of material available.

This document aims at providing information and cannot give recommendations for the use of the procedures discussed. Any reference to proprietary products has been avoided while the characteristics by the various representatives, for new products or techniques are not always accompanied by laboratory tests, and thus are given under their own responsibility.