JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #44 - October 2008 - Special Asia - 69

required, offering the following advantages: - Lighter panels (17 kg vs. 25 kg for a 1.2 m x 2.4 m plywood panel), which results in 20% higher productivity (1.1 sq.m/man-hour on average compared to 0.9 sq.m/man-hour for plywood), - No oil required for dismantling, - No water or humidity absorption, - Corrosion resistance, - 100% recyclable − used panels can be shredded to produce new reinforced plastic parts using thermoplastic processes like injection, extrusion, etc., - Foldable and suitable to create 3-D parts, - Higher impact resistance. - Bridge decks Designing and manufacturing innovative all-composite bridge decks is the objective of a project launched in 2003 in cooperation with Sherbrooke University (Sherbrooke, Qc. Canada) and NRC (Boucherville, Qc. Canada). The new deck slab design was intended to replace the traditional timber decks used on short-span bridges. Two prototypes were fabricated in 2005, 2006 and tested under static and dynamic loading at the laboratory of civil engineering of the University of Sherbrooke. The test results were very encouraging as the slabs were able to resist a complex combined loading mode representing a 70-ton truck. The prototypes were 1.2 m wide and 3.2 m long strips representing two continuous spans of 1.45 m each. The roll-formed reinforced thermoplastic webs were assembled between two flat skins of a deck slab to form the bridge deck prototype, as shown in Figure 1. Expanding structural foam was used to fill the inner space of the webs. The innovative deck slab shows several advantages over current timber decks. It is much more durable, weighs less per surface area, shows excellent fatigue resistance, and is much easier to install and replace. It is believed that the biggest advantage of thermoplastic composite bridge decks over their thermosetting counterparts is their potential for rapid and cost-effective processing in a continuous process as developed by AS Composite. PA, tested the panel according to the Florida Building Code Test Protocols for High Velocity Hurricane Zone, TAS 20194 Impact Test. These modular homes are designed to meet several needs. They can be erected on temporary foundations (block piers) and be outfitted with individual waste disposal systems, generators and bottled gas. They can be erected in isolated lots or grouped in urban parking lots or parks. They can be retrofitted with permanent foundations and hook-ups, or be disassembled and re-erected at a permanent location or stored for future deployment. They can also be built on stationary piers, basements or crawl spaces for permanent use. These homes can be manufactured, shipped, and erected rapidly for temporary housing or remain as permanent housing. Local, state, and housing authorities will start to pursue the same methods for community development. Emergency management agencies can strategically stock pile kits for rapid deployment following a disaster. A prototype was built on blocks in four days by a team of four people at the 2005 ThinkTec conference in Charleston, South Carolina (Figure 2). - Panellized housing system The 2005 hurricane season brought unprecedented destruction to the US gulf coast. Thousands of homes, businesses and lives were destroyed or disrupted. In addition, the South Asian tsunami in December 2004 killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. The earthquake in Pakistan left thousands exposed to the ravages of winter. War and famine in Africa have filled refugee camps with displaced broken families. Soaring energy and construction costs have stretched the world’s working class to the breaking point. AS Composite has developed a 10 cmthick panel made of a lightweight foam core adhesive bonded to two strong thermoplastic composite surfaces. The panel was used to develop a new building system to meet the current housing needs worldwide. The system is a panellized home or structure that will change the dynamics of emergency and sustainable permanent housing. The floor plans of these homes can be easily altered to accommodate whatever provisions are necessary for privacy, family size, family composition, or people with disabilities. Extensive research and loading, deflection and suction tests have been carried out with collaboration of NRC. Architectural Testing, Inc. (ATI) in York, Figure 2: Prototype built on blocks in four days. The prototype home surpassed the Southern Dade County Standards of 225 km/h wind forces. Due to the composite integrity of these panels, they are mould-, water-, vermin- and termiteproof, as well as seismic-, flood- and hurricane-resistant. More information: www.ascomposite.com Figure 1: ASC bridge deck panel. No44 October 2008 / JEC Composites Magazine

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #44 - October 2008 - Special Asia

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #44 - October 2008 - Special Asia