BY Joe Fox , Composites Industry Consultant & IACMI Member
A consultant in the composites industry, Joe Fox has had a long career that includes work at Standard Oil, BP America, Ashland Chemical and INEOS Composites. Joe is currently highly involved in an effort to expand composites use in infrastructure applications. He leads IACMI’s Infrastructure & Construction (I&C) Working Group. #CompositesAreNow
Infrastructure is a “hot topic” in our nation right now. The Infrastructure bill which passed in November 2021 committed $1.2 trillion dollars to the repair of our nation’s infrastructure, the largest investment of its kind in history. All 17 categories in ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card received money from this bill. Infrastructure represents a tremendous near-term opportunity for composites, and there is an extremely good fit between composites and our nation’s infrastructure needs.
To address this opportunity, IACMI has formed the Infrastructure & Construction (I&C) Working Group, one of five such Working Groups. The mission of this group is to spur the use of composites in the Infrastructure and Building & Construction (B&C) markets by overcoming the technoeconomic barriers that limit their adoption.
The Working Group has met quarterly for the past two years and has addressed these barriers:
– Upfront and life cycle costs for composites in I&C applications
– Education & awareness in the civil engineering & construction communities
– Performance of composites in I&C applications
During IACMI’s annual meeting in Knoxville in June, the I&C Working Group heard updates on fire testing of panels fabricated by Orenco with a novel resin from Trimer Technologies, re-use of end-of-life wind blades in I&C applications, interactions with state DOTs focused on predicting the lifetime of composites in bridge applications, and the creation of a decarbonization story for FRP.
The activities of the I&C Working Group featured in Knoxville and its other initiatives clearly demonstrate the benefits of involvement in an IACMI Working Group. Consistent with the overall mission of IACMI, the Working Group regularly convenes members with common interests, connects members throughout the supply chain, and catalyzes the creation and execution of projects that position composites for increased adoption.
Getting involved in an IACMI Working Group can be one of the most valuable benefits of membership! What a better time than #NationalCompositesWeek to take closer look at how IACMI and it’s Working Groups can benefit you and your organization.
For more information or to join IACMI working groups please email events@iacmi.org