Industry collaborations highlight sustainable composites engineering for construction

Close-up of The Pulse building that Solico collaborated on. Source | Solico Engineering

Composites engineering company Solico Engineering (Oosterhout, Netherlands) is presenting a number of engineering projects covering all aspects of the composite industry including defense, maritime and industrial sectors.

The company recently announced the successful conclusion of the “Lightweight Constructions for the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicles” (L-AMPV II) Project. This 3-year work package for EDA CapTech Ground Systems (Land, under the European Defence Agency), enabled Solico to support the design and development of the doors and underbelly of armored multipurpose vehicles. Working alongside Dutch partners NLR and TNO, as well as additional collaborators KNDS, IABG, IDV and Dallara, Solico solutions were extensively tested during successful full-scale blast tests in the Netherlands and Germany.

In the maritime sector, Solico celebrates its customer Omikron Yachts’ success in having won the European Powerboat Award for Long Range at Boot 2024 for the Omikron 60 yacht. The award reaffirms the vessel’s innovative concept, design and weight savings delivered by Solico’s composite engineering expertise.

Moreover, facing recent unprecedented storm surges caused by storm Pia, the Dutch Maeslantkering flood gates closed automatically for the first time against high water levels. More than a decade ago, Solico played a crucial role in developing epoxy- and carbon fiber-wrapped ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) bearings that combined a low friction coefficient with a very high load capacity, ensuring that the gates could close smoothly and safely when required. Solico takes pride in having been part of this project.

Solico, through its latest collaboration with Armacell and Holland Composites, has also been selected as a finalist in this year’s JEC Innovation Awards, nominated in the “Building & Civil Engineering” category for work on the 14,000-square-meter Duplicor façade for The Pulse building in Amsterdam (read “Bio-based, fire-resistant composites become mainstream”). Holland Composites’ bio-based, fire-resistant and low-CO₂ composite solution Duplicor, in combination with Solico’s engineering optimization and Armacell’s recycled PET foam technology, reduced installation time and enabled the The Pulse building to achieve an outstanding BREEAM rating for sustainable construction.