Performance Benefits
FRP composite marine piles provide
engineered materials with defined, uniform and predictable
strength and stiffness properties, whereas wood can have large
variations of properties due to cracking, knots, splintering or
other damage. FRP composite piles are designed for specific
applications. In general, composite materials provide the owner
with many performance benefits including:
-
Corrosion resistance
-
Ability to absorb the energy of
vessel impact through recoverable deflection.
-
Impervious to marine borers
(long-term performance)
-
Pre-engineered products and
systems with predictable performance characteristics
-
High-strength providing uniform
properties
-
Installation requires no
specialized tooling or techniques.
-
Lightweight for easy field
installation
-
Environmentally safe because
there is no leaching of toxic preservatives or treatments
-
Dimensionally stable for
installation and long-term weather performance
-
Custom colors available to blend
into the surrounding environment
-
Reduced installation time
(one-piece construction)
-
Low-maintenance (varies with
installation and use)
-
Nonmagnetic (facilities
requiring low magnetic signatures)
-
Nonconductive (facilities
requiring low electrical conductivity)
FRP composite marine piles have
seen service since the early 1990’s and have become widely
accepted as fender piles by many Port Authorities, U.S. Navy,
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and numerous State DOTs.
Unique to the bridge engineer is
the use of composite piles for bridge pier protection systems.
This application takes advantage of the engineered properties
for individual fender piles and timbers and organizes them in
the form of guide-walls or dolphin clusters to protect bridge
piers from collision damage by marine vessels or debris from
nature’s most violent storms. The composite bridge fender
systems are often constructed in a similar fashion to
traditional timber bridge fender systems. Composite piles are
driven in either a plumb and batter configuration attached to
which, composite timbers run in horizontal rows. This creates a
flared fender section, which will guide vessels into the channel
and away from the bridge piers. The highly ductile material
properties of composite piles & timbers enable the absorption of
fifteen times more energy than a similar cross section of
timber. Composite piles & timbers offer a smooth, abrasion and
UV resistant outer skin with a low co-efficient of friction,
this enhances the ability of vessels to slide along the fender
system after impact.
Several universities, government
and state agencies have evaluated composites for bridge
structures. A program involving the Federal Highway
Administration, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia
Transportation Research Council, and Virginia Tech are assessing
several piling products for driveability, capacity, and
durability.
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Introduction
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