House Subcommittee on Research and Technology discusses composite materials

The US House Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing April 18 on Composite Materials: Strengthening Infrastructure Development. The goal of the hearing was to review a report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, US) on overcoming obstacles to adopting composites for infrastructure projects, to discuss the value of developing standards for composites in infrastructure applications, and to examine composites as an alternative or supplement to conventional materials.

The subcommittee heard testimony from Dr. Joannie Chin, deputy director, Engineering Laboratory, NIST; Dr. Hota GangaRao, Wadsworth Distinguished Professor, Statler College of Engineering, West Virginia University; Dr. David Lange, professor, department of civil and environmental engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Mr. Shane Weyant, president and CEO, Creative Pultrusions Inc. (Alum Bank, PA, US).

Collectively the witnesses built a case for investing in the renovation of existing infrastructure with composites, citing examples of composite bridges, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar and composite utility poles and crossarms.

“Currently composites account for less than 1% of the structural materials by volume in spite of their many advantages such as the high strength, corrosion resistance, lighter weight and better performance per unit weight,” said Dr. GangaRao.

The witnesses were clear to state that composite materials should not be viewed as a replacement for traditional materials such as steel and concrete, but should be used in harmony with existing materials. Composites can be used in the renovation of existing infrastructure and also considered as a material choice when engineering a new project.

“The future is a world with better integration of material systems,” stated Dr. Lang.

Much of the hearing revolved around cost savings. Evidence was presented to illustrate the reduction of maintenance costs that could be seen during the long life cycle composite structures enjoy.

“In the utility industry we have seen probably 30% life cycle cost savings when using composites,” stated Weyant.

The witness spoke about the need to educate the engineering community on composites and take advantage of research centers that offer partnerships between academic institutions and industry. There is a need for standards to help engineers fully understand the properties and capabilities of composite materials.

Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) said that she and subcommittee chairwoman Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) are getting ready to introduce a bill concerning composites, a part of which is the IMAGINE Act (Innovative Materials in American Grid and Infrastructure Newly Expanded). The initiative calls for the creation of an interagency innovative materials task force to assess existing standards and test methods and compare them against composite materials. The intiative would work to identify key barriers in the current standards that inhibit market adaptation and adoption of composites. The coordinated effort would be chaired by NIST and bring together the Federal Highway Administration, the Army Corp. of Engineers, the EPA and other standard regulatory agencies.