InfraStructures - June/July 2010 - Axion Installs First Ever Recycled Plastic Rail Road Bridge

Axion Installs First Ever Recycled Plastic Rail Road Bridge

Axion International Holdings, Inc., recently completed the first of two railroad bridges, constructed from 100% recycled plastic, at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The bridges, designed by Parsons Brinckerhoff, utilize Axion’s patented Recycled Structural Composite (RSC) a thermoplastic solution consisting of nearly 100% recycled post-consumer and industrial plastic. Initial field test results confirm design criteria requirements.

The new short span bridges extend approximately 12 m and 24 m, respectively. Both bridges are designed to deliver a high-load rating of 118 t which is necessary in order to transport locomotives and freight.

The design and engineering work was supported by Virginia-based Centennial Contractors Enterprises, the prime job order contractor for the project, and Parsons Brinckerhoff, which has more than a century of experience in working on major complex bridges including such recent structures as the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River outside Washington, D.C.; the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge over the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina; and the William Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River in Owensboro, Kentucky. The demolition and construction activities are being performed by English Construction Company, Inc., a 100 year old privately owned company conducting operations in eight states throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Innovative Green Solutions, an Axion channel partner, introduced Axion to the Fort Eustis project and participated in the negotiation and development of the project.

Developed in conjunction with scientists at Rutgers University, Axion’s cutting edge technology has resulted in virtually 100% recycled plastic materials, Recycled Structural Composites, that are the first known structural products of their kind that can support heavy loads. Compared to traditional infrastructure materials such as wood, steel or concrete, Axion's innovative products are more durable and significantly longer lasting.

Source: Axion International Holdings, Inc.