DAYTON, Ohio - (December 19, 2017) Composite Advantage was named the winner of the CAMX Combined Strength Award for its Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite wicket gate. The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) recognized Composite Advantage and its collaborators - the US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL), West Virginia University and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Rock Island District - for teamwork that used composite material to solve a problem.
Composite Advantage’s FRP wicket gate is the first composite navigational structure to be used by USACE. Wicket gates are movable dams used to help maintain a navigational pool in a river. The gates are raised during periods of low water. In 2015, the supplier designed and fabricated three 16 ft. long, 4ft. wide, 8 in. thick FRP wicket gates for installation at the Peoria Lock & Dam on the Illinois River, Creve Coeur, Illinois. The composite product replaced traditional chanoine-type wicket gates made of white oak, a costly, diminishing natural resource.
FRP wicket gates are 40 percent less on a first cost basis and provide a lifespan of more than 50 years unlike conventional wood gates which have a lifespan of approximately 15 years. FRP’s corrosion resistance makes maintenance minimal. Composite Advantage’s FRP product has been sourced by USACE in the 2018 budget for the LaGrange and Peoria Lock & Dam locations along the Illinois waterway. USACE is projecting a material and labor costs savings of $18.6 million over the next 50 years at these sites.
Composite Advantage is an engineered solution supplier for Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) products for major infrastructure markets. CA pairs innovative design and unique technology with efficient manufacturing processes and in-depth field experience. More than a decade of developing lightweight, high-strength, cost-effective FRP goods for structurally demanding applications and corrosive environments has helped the advanced materials manufacturer create a comprehensive menu of products ranging from pedestrian bridge decks, trail bridges, cantilever sidewalks and rail platforms to fenders, pilings, ship separators and other waterfront structures.
Contact Composite Advantage at 937-723-9031 or info@compositeadvantage.com.