2011 R&D 100 Winner
Engineers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center, Champaign, Ill., and partner organizations have built a plastic bridge that not only stands up to an Army tank, it suggests an economical way to rebuild the nation’s bridge infrastructure. The All Thermoplastic Composite, I-Beam Design, High-Capacity Bridge System eliminates material creep through an innovative I-beam design and patented mixture of composite materials.
The design demonstrates for the first time that thermoplastic composite lumber compares favorably to treated lumber on a first-cost basis. The designers estimate a 50-year life expectancy, thanks to the inherent resistance of the composite to moisture, rot, and insects. The result: a $300 per square foot lifecycle cost savings for the composite material compared to alternative materials.
The breakthrough 18-in I-beam design, with its large moment of inertia, provides an increase in stiffness while eliminating material, reducing the bridge’s cost and weight. A non-linear strain energy equivalence model used for the bridge’s development predicted long-term creep strain—using short-term tests—would be negligible over the life of the structure by keeping the design stresses below 600 psi.
The patented thermoplastic composite material mixture combines post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene with automotive bumper scraps (made of polypropylene and fiberglass). The immiscible polymer blending, extrusion, and molding process specifically orients the glass fibers.
Technology
Composite bridge design
Developers
U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center
Rutgers University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Axion International Inc.
McLaren Engineering Group
Department of Defense Corrosion Prevention and Control Program
Army Facilities Installation Technology Transition Program
Development Team
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| Richard Lampo, Principal Developer, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center |
George Assis, McLaren Engineering Group |
Henry Diaz-Alvarez, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center |
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| Vincent F. Hock, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center |
James Kerstein, Axion International |
Malcolm McLaren, McLaren Engineering Group |
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| Thomas Nosker, Rutgers University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering |
Steve Silverman, Axion International |
James Wilcoski, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center |
The All Thermoplastic Composite, I-Beam Design, High-Capacity Bridge System Development Team
Richard Lampo, Principal Developer, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center
George Assis, McLaren Engineering Group
Philip Columbus, Army Facilities Installation Technology Transition Program
Henry Diaz-Alvarez, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center
Daniel Dunmire, Department of Defense Corrosion Prevention and Control Program
Vincent F. Hock, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center
James Kerstein, Axion International
Malcolm McLaren, McLaren Engineering Group
Thomas Nosker, Rutgers University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Steve Silverman, Axion International
James Wilcoski, U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center
