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UM engineers unveil ‘bridge in a backpack’

Posted on Feb. 23, 2009, at 12:00 a.m.

Amy Brooks

Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Mike Michaud were two guests at Friday's press conference at UMaine. Collins compares the success and excitement of the AEWC's project to a crucial three-point shot.

Amy Brooks

Govenor John Baldacci was the first guest speaker to address the crowd at the AEWC Friday morning. Senator Susan Collins and Representative Michael Michaud both spoke as well.

Video: AEWC Press Conference

The University of Maine’s Advanced Engineered Composite Center showcased two new bridge-building technologies Friday that officials said will make bridges quicker and cheaper to build and more durable.

University, state and federal officials shared the stage at a press conference Friday to announce the completion of the first bridge to use one of the new technologies and the formation of a company to further develop the other technology.

The first technology – known as the “Bridge in a Backpack” – was recently used to rebuild the Neal Bridge in Pittsfield. Inflatable tubes, which can fit into a medium-sized duffle bag, are inflated, shaped and hardened with a resin. The lightweight tubes can then be moved into place by hand before being filled with concrete.

“We are rebuilding our country with the technology here today,” said Rep. Mike Michaud. “This new technology will not only last longer, but you can also save time as well when building this infrastructure.”

The tubes, which are twice the strength of steel once hardened, serve three purposes. They act as a form for the concrete, reinforce the concrete so no rebar is needed and protect the concrete from the elements. While the arches for the Neal Bridge were pre-fabricated at the AEWC and then trucked to the construction site, it is expected in the future the tubes will arrive at the sites rolled up and will be inflated and hardened there.

Habib Dagher, director of the AEWC, stressed how quickly the bridge was built. Once the arches were in place, it took about one hour to fill all 23 with cement. Although the Neal Bridge was about as expensive as a traditional bridge, the bridge-in-a-backpack method is expected to become cheaper when scaled. According to Daniel Bannon, a graduate student who oversees much of the construction, the arches are currently built entirely by hand.

The other bridge technology being developed by the AEWC is a composite girder – a horizontal beam. The girder also requires some concrete, which is added on site. A 70-foot composite girder weighs 6,000 pounds before being filled with concrete, compared to the 50,000 pounds of a conventional concrete highway girder. Its light weight, according to Dagher, will help dramatically reduce construction costs, such as transportation and machine rentals.

Gov. John Baldacci praised the center for its innovation, which he said will bring jobs to Maine. Harbor Technologies, a company developing the composite technologies introduced by the center, expects to add 20 to 30 new jobs this summer. Another similar company, Advanced Infrastructure Technologies, also expects to add new jobs.

“This is all about doing things in a smart way, using Yankee ingenuity, the research that goes on up here at the university and being able to commercialize that throughout our sectors here in the State of Maine,” Baldacci said. “I look forward to continuing to work with the university, our federal partners and these next-generation partners so they can flourish in Maine.”

Baldacci praised Michaud and Sen. Susan Collins for securing funding for the center. Baldacci credited the recent stimulus package, which Collins and Michaud helped pass, for providing continuing funding for the center, saying, “It couldn’t have been done without our congressional delegation.”

Collins remarked on the relatively quick transition from research and development to the private sector.

“It is, after all, the goal of R&D to commercialize it, to see it creating spin off companies and creating great jobs right here in Maine,” Collins said. “Advanced Infrastructure Technologies is continuing to work to turn the composite bridge arch technology developed right here in Orono into a nationwide industry. As AIT builds new bridges, it will be building a new economy and new opportunities for Maine people.”

The press conference ended with a ceremonial cutting of the ribbon for the Neal Bridge, which opened for traffic in December.

The press conference is online in its entirety at mainecampus.com.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.