No Sidewalk, No Problem: Widening Bridges with Lightweight FRP Cantilevered Sidewalks
October 14, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM ET | 1:00 PM CT | 11:00 AM PT
Duration: 60 minutes
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Summary
Communities across the country are looking for safe, cost-effective ways to provide bridge crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists without sacrificing valuable vehicle lanes or constructing entirely new pedestrian bridges. Lightweight Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites offer an innovative solution: cantilevered sidewalks that can be attached to existing vehicle bridges with minimal impact on traffic and existing structures.
This webinar will explore how FRP composites are being used to create durable, lightweight, cantilevered sidewalks and why this approach is gaining traction in bridge and transportation projects. Real-world case studies will illustrate how FRP can provide practical advantages, especially in challenging retrofit applications.
Attendees will learn:
- The fundamentals of FRP and how FRP components are manufactured.
- Where FRP is being used throughout the heavy civil infrastructure industry.
- How and why FRP was selected for the featured cantilevered sidewalk projects.
- Key provisions of the AASHTO LRFD Guide Specifications for the Design of FRP Pedestrian Bridges.
- General design, detailing, and specification considerations for FRP pedestrian structures.
Whether you are new to FRP or looking to expand their use on bridge projects, this webinar will provide practical insight into the opportunities, challenges and lessons learned from using FRP to extend the life and functionality of existing bridges.
Speakers
Gregg Blaszak, P.E.
President
Coastline Composites, Inc.
Gregg Blaszak is a bridge engineer with more than 25 years of experience applying Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) to hundreds of heavy civil infrastructure projects. After earning an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, he worked on the design of several award-winning bridges with J. Muller International before focusing exclusively on advancing the use of FRP materials in bridge, marine, rail, tunnel, and waterfront applications. As President of Coastline Composites, Gregg leads a respected technical sales and consulting firm specializing in FRP solutions. A recognized expert in the use of FRP for strengthening concrete structures, he has played a key role in developing industry design standards and has chaired numerous technical committees. Most recently, he led the task group responsible for drafting the second edition of AASHTO’s LRFD Guide Specifications for the Design of FRP Pedestrian Bridges.
Brandon Weyant
Project Manager/Outside Sales Representative, Access Structures
Creative Composites Group
Brandon Weyant has been a Project Manager/Outside Sales Representative with the Creative Composites Group for the last seven years. He received his BS in Biology and Economics from Juniata College. During his time with the Creative Composites Group, he has been responsible for pedestrian bridge sales and molded FiberSpan™ decking panels product line. He was part of the team that designed and manufactured the world's longest free-spanning FRP pedestrian bridge.
