Glass Fibers
Public transit: Modular composites update Sao Paulo ferries
When the Brazilian state of São Paulo, through its state-controlled company DERSA, funded new composite superstructures for 12 existing car ferries, Barracuda Advanced Composites (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) specified materials and engineered the new design.
Read MoreQuay cable tray: Composites upgrade container ship terminal
When the Cape Town, South Africa, Transnet National Ports Authority began a 12-month effort to expand its facility and upgrade its existing quays (wharfs), engineers realized that the Authority had a safety problem at its main container quay. Composites provided the solution.
Read MoreHighlights: JEC Europe 2014
Composites enable high performance and lower weight in washtubs, wheelchairs and engine exhaust cones. Plus new, ultralight materials.
Read MoreComposite flywheels: Finally picking up speed?
A wave of new composite flywheel developments for bus, rail, auto, heavy truck, construction equipment, and power grid support promises fuel savings, improved efficiency and reduced emissions — i.e. sustainability in the global quest for more energy.
WatchInspection: 30-year-old fiberglass pipeline stands test of time
Examined after three decades in service (half its predicted service life), this filament wound fiberglass pipe showed no signs of degradation.
Read MoreBus station pavilion: A marriage of design and manufacture
Architectural design studio and boatbuilder cooperate to make this passenger terminal "first" a first-class showpiece.
Read MoreMarket Outlook: Fiber-reinforced phenolics
When it comes to corrosion resistance and low smoke toxicity, it's hard to beat fiber-reinforced phenolics. Manufacturers look for new applications for this often overlooked material.
Read MoreUnderground storage tanks: Rehabilitation without excavation
An unusual “lost-core” composite adds double walls protection to noncompliant tanks without excavation.
Read MoreIndustrial corrosion control: Huge opportunities
Fiber-reinforced plastic is the ideal but still widely ignored option in environments that eat away at most metal alloys. Opportunities abound, but the key is still education.
Read MoreOff-grid turbine: Helix in the wind
This new composite twist on the vertical-axis wind turbine makes no small impact on the private power market.
Read More