An FRP Journey Through 2019

When I was a kid, I went to the moon, journeyed to the center of the Earth and travelled 20,000 leagues under the sea. I took these adventures in books where anything is possible. Over this last year, our blogs have taken you across the country and around the world via the digital highways of the Internet through the portal of your computer screen. We also used our fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) products to open the door to possibilities for customers with problems that conventional solutions couldn’t fix. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from 2019.

In February 2019, we took you to Lake Tahoe where the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) launched its State Route 28 Shared-Use Path Project collaborators were looking for a way to design and build a walkway that could be installed quickly on the lake’s rocky, uneven shores. FRP ousted concrete to take the job. The unique application called for FRP to take on a bigger role than it normally plays in most bridge projects. We re-visited Tahoe several more times this year to keep you abreast of the unfolding story. FRP bridges in multiple sizes and shapes were installed in June.

In February we also took you to Washington DC with us where we participated in the composite industry’s Infrastructure Advocacy fly-in. In April, our friends from CompositesWorld Magazine visited us to find out more about what we do and help us continue to tell the FRP story.

That same month we visited Massachusetts’ Bellingham Square Station where we installed a customizable FRP Switchback Ramp to help the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Bay Authority (MBTA) overcome spatial constraints and meet Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

In March, Composite Advantage landed an unexpected job—a vehicle bascule bridge in Michigan City, Indiana. The movable bridge suddenly stopped working when cold temperatures caused the concrete deck and steel supports to fail. Our prefabricated FRP decking proved a quick solution.

In May, we visited Jamestown, Virginia where we worked with the Virginia Department of Transportation to replace aging, chemically-treated wood  piles with our FRP FiberPILE product. In June, CA represented the industry by testifying before a congressional subcommittee on how innovative materials can improve the resiliency of our transportation infrastructure.

We participated in the first ever National Composites Week. In October we took you to some of the scariest bridges in the world. In December, we took you to a number of light shows. More than 160 countries light up their bridges for Christmas.

Over the course of the year we held 20 Lunch & Learn programs at customer offices. These meetings and presentations help spread the word about FRP technology for bridges, route platforms and waterfront applications. The questions that owners and engineers ask at these events are one of the most important takeaways for us.

As the year comes to a close and we get ready for 2020, we would like to thank our customers for partnering on the many FRP projects that took place over the last 12 months, our team of associates for their hard work, and the industry organizations that continue to provide support in the efforts to educate the marketplace about FRP. As part of the Creative Composites Group, we wish each you and your families a Happy New Year.