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A bridge for China
APPLICATIONS
A bridge for China FIBERCORE Europe and DSM Composite Resins have developed a composite pedestrian bridge that is reported to surpass conventional steel and concrete bridges in terms of weight and load-bearing ability. The bridge was jointly developed over a four-month period by European unsaturated polyester resin producer DSM Composite Resins, and FiberCore Europe of the Netherlands, a specialist in load-bearing structures made of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP). It employs DSM’s resins and FiberCore Europe’s proprietary Infracore® manufacturing technology, which been developed for heavy-load-bearing composite structures. (No further information is available on the Infracore technology at present.)
All components of the bridge are made from glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP). The composite bridge is said to weigh about 5% of the weight of traditional concrete bridge and 20% of a steel bridge with the same dimensions and loading capacity. This lower weight means that less substantial foundations can be used, transportation is easier, and installation does not require heavy lifting equipment and is therefore quicker. Composite bridges are also inherently buoyant, making them ideal for marine and swampy environments. “The use of composite materials in high load bearing structures such as bridges is meeting the need for lighter-weight structures that are easier to manufacture, easier to deploy, last longer and have a
The bridge was displayed at China Composites Expo 2009 in Shanghai in September. It was designed for the Chinese market and incorporates a hand-rail modelled on a traditional Chinese footbridge.
lower carbon-footprint,” says Mel Foster, Director Overseas Business, FiberCore Europe. “The new China pedestrian bridge has a lot of excess load-bearing capacity. It is not only strong enough to withstand the regulation emergency vehicle weight of 6 tons, it could even take a vehicle weight of up to 30 tons,” he adds. A recent life cycle analysis study jointly conducted by DSM Composite Resins, FiberCore
and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs shows that a composite bridge also has a much lower environmental impact compared to concrete, and has only one third the impact of a steel bridge. DSM believes there is good potential for composite bridges in the Chinese construction and infrastructure market. FiberCore Europe; www.fibercore-europe.com DSM Composite Resins; www.dsmcompositeresins.com
In brief These stories are available in full on the Reinforced Plastics website www.reinforcedplastics.com. Boeing and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have signed an agreement to work together on the production of composite flaperons for Boeing’s 777 series aircraft. As the use of FRP continues to grow within the power industry, Korean company Hankuk Fiber Glass Co Ltd (HFG) is replacing the cast iron ash transfer pipes of power plants with composite pipes based on vinyl ester resin from Cray Valley.
REINFORCEDplastics
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
Cured in place pipe (CIPP) repair technology that uses ultraviolet (UV) light-curing resin supplied by AOC has helped preserve an historic home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. SP has supplied composite materials for the C-Boat superyacht tender, a clear-coated carbon composite structure designed by Humphreys Yacht Design and built by Jason Carrington. Sony claims its VAIO® X Series is the world’s lightest notebook computer. It is housed in a lightweight carbon fibre chassis.
www.reinforcedplastics.com
A bridge for China FIBERCORE Europe and DSM Composite Resins have developed a composite pedestrian bridge that is reported to surpass conventional steel and concrete bridges in terms of weight and load-bearing ability. The bridge was jointly developed over a four-month period by European unsaturated polyester resin producer DSM Composite Resins, and FiberCore Europe of the Netherlands, a specialist in load-bearing structures made of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP). It employs DSM’s resins and FiberCore Europe’s proprietary Infracore® manufacturing technology, which been developed for heavy-load-bearing composite structures. (No further information is available on the Infracore technology at present.)
All components of the bridge are made from glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP). The composite bridge is said to weigh about 5% of the weight of traditional concrete bridge and 20% of a steel bridge with the same dimensions and loading capacity. This lower weight means that less substantial foundations can be used, transportation is easier, and installation does not require heavy lifting equipment and is therefore quicker. Composite bridges are also inherently buoyant, making them ideal for marine and swampy environments. “The use of composite materials in high load bearing structures such as bridges is meeting the need for lighter-weight structures that are easier to manufacture, easier to deploy, last longer and have a
The bridge was displayed at China Composites Expo 2009 in Shanghai in September. It was designed for the Chinese market and incorporates a hand-rail modelled on a traditional Chinese footbridge.
lower carbon-footprint,” says Mel Foster, Director Overseas Business, FiberCore Europe. “The new China pedestrian bridge has a lot of excess load-bearing capacity. It is not only strong enough to withstand the regulation emergency vehicle weight of 6 tons, it could even take a vehicle weight of up to 30 tons,” he adds. A recent life cycle analysis study jointly conducted by DSM Composite Resins, FiberCore
and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs shows that a composite bridge also has a much lower environmental impact compared to concrete, and has only one third the impact of a steel bridge. DSM believes there is good potential for composite bridges in the Chinese construction and infrastructure market. FiberCore Europe; www.fibercore-europe.com DSM Composite Resins; www.dsmcompositeresins.com
In brief These stories are available in full on the Reinforced Plastics website www.reinforcedplastics.com. Boeing and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have signed an agreement to work together on the production of composite flaperons for Boeing’s 777 series aircraft. As the use of FRP continues to grow within the power industry, Korean company Hankuk Fiber Glass Co Ltd (HFG) is replacing the cast iron ash transfer pipes of power plants with composite pipes based on vinyl ester resin from Cray Valley.
REINFORCEDplastics
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
Cured in place pipe (CIPP) repair technology that uses ultraviolet (UV) light-curing resin supplied by AOC has helped preserve an historic home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. SP has supplied composite materials for the C-Boat superyacht tender, a clear-coated carbon composite structure designed by Humphreys Yacht Design and built by Jason Carrington. Sony claims its VAIO® X Series is the world’s lightest notebook computer. It is housed in a lightweight carbon fibre chassis.
www.reinforcedplastics.com