Why use composites in the construction industry?

A variety of composite materials are used to build structures such as bridges or bridge decking , window components, storage units, exterior cladding and even entire buildings. Composites are also used to reinforce concrete structures, particularly fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar as an anti-corrosive replacement to steel rebar. Composites offer lightweighting, design flexibility and durability benefits, all of which can help speed construction and improve a building’s sustainability score. Source: Composites end markets: Construction

Are composites used in construction repair?

Composites are increasingly being used to repair structures built with other materials. Target applications include bridge beams, bridge decks, parking garages and pipelines, including underground systems. Steel-reinforced concrete can be damaged by seismic events and is commonly compromised by temperature-induced contraction and expansion. This results in cracks, which permit moisture invasion, results in corrosion and spalling (expansion) of the steel rebar. That, in turn, aggravates cracking and leads, eventually, to concrete disintegration followed by structural failure. Composites are increasingly used to repair such structures at significantly less cost than new construction, and also to rehabilitate structures that must bear increasing loads beyond the structure’s rated capacity. Composites can also be used to repair product pipelines, such as natural gas and petroleum pipes at oil refineries and offshore platforms, and to rehabilitate underground storage tanks without the time and expense of excavation. Source: Materials & Processes: Composites for repair

CONSTRUCTION

Construction

21st century concrete: composite metamaterial with super compressability, energy harvesting

Material comprising 3D-printed, auxetic, reinforced polymer lattices in conductive cement matrix can compress up to 15% and generate electricity for lightweight, mechanically tunable structures with energy harvesting and sensing.

Ginger Gardiner
Senior Technical Editor, CompositesWorld

Construction

Gatorbar, NEG, ExxonMobil join forces for composite rebar

ExxonMobil’s Materia Proxima polyolefin thermoset resin systems and glass fiber from NEG-US is used to produce GatorBar, an industry-leading, glass fiber-reinforced composite rebar (GFRP).
#infrastructure

Construction

Adaptive composite elements for building facades exhibited at JEC World 2023

University of Stuttgart institutes use carbon and glass fiber composites, robotic fabrication, biomimetic design and digial twin/control to demonstrate adaptive facade elements for future buildings.
#composites4-0

Construction

EuCIA provides update on future Eurocode for composites

Publication of CEN Technical Standard (CEN/TS) 19101, now in its trial phase, will provide clear guidelines on how to design and engineer FRP composite structures.

Automotive

Plastics Machinery Shipments Rose in 2022’s Final Quarter

The Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) reported that injection molding and extrusion machinery shipments totaled $432.7 million in Q4.
#medical #electronics

The growing role of composites in infrastructure

From bridges to rebar and pilings, composites provide installation and life cycle cost savings over steel and concrete.
#infrastructure #feature #frprebar

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Construction |

Composites-reinforced concrete for sustainable data center construction

Metromont’s C-GRID-reinforced insulated precast concrete’s high strength, durability, light weight and ease of installation improve data center performance, construction time and sustainability.
#sustainability #infrastructure #focusondesign

Stewart Mitchell Contributing Writer

Videos / Podcasts

Mateenbar GFRP rebar in Jizan flood mitigation channel

Construction

Composites end markets: Civil infrastructure (2023)

December 28, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

Growth and potential grow for wider composites adoption in bridges, rebar and other concrete reinforcement and other infrastructure applications and repair.
#composites-basics #composites-market-outlook #frprebar

Urban Air Mobility

3 Points About 3D Printing Large Parts We Can Learn From the Lunar Habitat (Video)

November 10, 2022 - 2:30 AM EST

Ingersoll Machine Tools describes the capabilities and promise of large-scale additive manufacturing as seen in the 3D printed sections of the Rosenberg Space Habitat.
#wingoftomorrow #space

Museum of the Future composites cladding panels being installed

Molds/Tools

Composites enable epic interior for Museum of the Future

September 23, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

For this one-of-a-kind lobby, AFI pioneered digital, reconfigurable molds to achieve organic-shaped, multifunctional panels and stairwell cladding.
#insidemanufacturing

Automotive

Advanced Fiberglass Industries: Composites enable innovation

September 22, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

With decades of composites design and fabrication experience, Dubai-based AFI turns problems into solutions.

Injection/Overmolding

CFRTP enables better, greener smartphones

July 27, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

Carbon Mobile’s “monocoque” design eliminates separate case, cover and frame, better protects electronics and simplifies disassembly.
#focusondesign #sustainability

Construction

Sensors: Data for next-gen composites manufacturing

March 01, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

In the quest for sustainability, sensors are reducing cycle times, energy use and waste, automating closed-loop process control and increasing knowledge to open new possibilities for intelligent manufacturing and structures.
#sensors #windblades #SHM

Construction

Re-Wind Network successfully installs repurposed wind blade pedestrian bridge

January 31, 2022 - 1:00 PM EST

The Ireland-based, five-meter-long BladeBridge solution has undergone extensive materials and mechanical testing to ensure application suitability.
#sustainability #infrastructure #windblades

Materials |

Composites end markets: Construction (2023)

In the construction market, composites offer benefits like manufacturability for complex designs, more sustainable materials and 3D-printed, modular homes.
#composites-market-outlook #sustainability #economics

Hannah Mason Technical Editor, CompositesWorld

Construction

Pilot program turns EOL wind blades to liners for pipe infrastructure

TPI Composites, Tex-Tech and Carbon Rivers partner to process wind blades, pyrolyze the material and use the recovered glass fibers to give new life to damaged existing pipelines.

Construction

Building code requirements renewed for CarbonCast wall panels

ICC-ES ESR#2953 renewal revalidates performance and compliance of AltusGroup precast wall assembly featuring C-Grid carbon fiber grid connector and rigid foam insulation.

Glass Fibers

Planefibra translucent composite tiles target natural lighting, energy savings

More than reducing the electricity bill, companies can improve their work environment by including these GFRP tiles, which have high thermal resistance, on their buildings.

Construction

Toray jointly wins Infrastructure Maintenance award for steel pipe repair innovation

Together with Tokyo Electric Power Grid and Yasuda Seisakusho, Toray employed in-situ VARTM with carbon fiber sheets to repair steel pipe corrosion on transmission towers, with application extension underway.
#repair

Aerospace

AMULET project funds 24 projects in composites, CMCs, metals

Trans-European project finalists for first open call identify material and process innovations in building, aerospace and aeronautics, energy and automotive sectors.
#wingoftomorrow #space #ceramicmatrixcomposites

Construction

NCC announces life cycle assessment software results for construction

Study is undertaken to better understand LCA software tools to inform composites design and product development in decarbonization initiatives.
#trends

Construction |

CirculinQ: Glass fiber, recycled plastic turn paving into climate solutions

Durable modular paving system from recycled composite filters, collects, infiltrates stormwater to reduce flooding, recharge local aquifers.
#sustainability #infrastructure #focusondesign

Peggy Malnati Contributing Writer