When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
According to SPI: The Plastic Industry Trade Association, the building and construction industry is the second largest consumer of plastic in the U.S., after the packaging industry. Construction plastics are valued for durability and high performance, are free of corrosion, and are easy to handle. Now plastic bridges are making the news. An article in Azom (The A to Z of Materials) online magazine describes:
Dayton, Ohio’s Five Rivers MetroParks has installed a prefabricated, 20-foot FiberSPAN™ trail bridge in Germantown MetroPark. Manufactured by Composite Advantage, the zero-maintenance Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) trail bridge spans a stream as part of a new trail construction project at the Germantown, Ohio park. The Dayton area’s Five Rivers MetroParks covers nearly 16,000 acres. Germantown MetroPark is considered one of the most diverse and significant natural areas managed by MetroParks.
The plastic pedestrian bridge was installed in a remote location and without use of heavy equipment in just one hour in freezing temperatures. The expected lifespan of the bridge is more than 50 years. The manufacturer, Composite Advantage, uses an award-winning innovative approach that combines infusion technology with efficient manufacturing and flexible production cells, allowing the production of large parts up to 52 feet long.
Composite Advantage produces light and nonslip FiberSPAN decks for pedestrian and vehicle bridges. While smaller pedestrian and light vehicle bridges can be preassembled and installed in one step, vehicle bridges are assembled on-site using prefabricated deck panels. Their other products include waterfront infrastructure, with the necessary properties of flotation, corrosion resistance and environmental stability; railroad platforms; and corrosion-resistant parts. Composite Advantage’s largest FRP deck of 18,776 square feet (the largest polymer deck in the world) was used to preserve a historical bridge over the Merrimack River in Massachussets by minimizing the dead load.
Polymer Composite Makes It Possible
What kind of material made it possible? FRP is a composite material composed of a polymer matrix, such as polyester, vinylester or epoxy, and strong fibers, such as glass, carbon, or aramid (aromatic polyamide). In Composite Advantage’s case, the reinforcing fibers are manufactured into fabric, which can be shaped 2- or 3-dimensionally. The fabric enhances the properties of the matrix, which locks the fiber structure in place in a mold. The tensile properties of the resulting material are to a large extent defined by the fiber orientation of the matrix.
Some fiber-reinforced plastic manufacturing companies, such as Creative Pultrusions, Strongwell, and Techtronics use pultrusion — or drawing resin-coated glass fibers through a heated die — to manufacture their bridge parts. This results in beams with a constant cross-section similar to wooden beams. Techtronics specializes in lightweight pedestrian and trail bridges that can be assembled on-site within a day. Zellcompuses a two-part system to construct bridge decks: first the base, consisting of beamed sections, which is covered by sheets of FRP. Composite Advantage uses large premanufactured sections. Every application fits its needs.
Living up to Expectations
The advantages of FRP for bridge construction — such as high tensile strength to weight ratio, the ability to be molded to different shapes, resistance to corrosion and environmental conditions, and low maintenance cost — have lived up to expectations in actual use, as was predicted by MIT scientists years ago. Plastic bridges, plastic concrete, plastic cars, and airplanes are all around us (welcome to Legoland)!
Comments
Post a Comment