Jun 4 2013
AXION International Holdings, Inc., a leader in recycled plastic and plastic composite technologies used to produce ECOTRAX™ rail ties and STRUXURE™ building products, today announced its participation in the official ribbon cutting ceremony on May 29th for a bridge in Logan County, Ohio made of AXION's STRUXURE™ 100% recycled infrastructure building products. The Company had announced the purchase order for the bridge in September, 2012.
AXION supplied building materials for Onion Ditch Bridge in Ohio, the 2nd 100% recycled bridge on a public U.S. road
Logan County Engineer Scott Coleman reportedly stated that durability and an expected life span of over 50 years weighed into the decision to use STRUXURE™ as well as the environmental benefits of using 100% recycled materials. The community in Logan County has a goal of being a zero-waste county by the 2020. Materials used to make STRUXURE™ include 80% post-consumer plastics such as detergent bottles, shampoo bottles and milk jugs, and 20% is comprised of car bumpers and dashboards.
"It was rewarding to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Onion Ditch Bridge. AXION supplied our STRUXURE™ infrastructure building materials and we consulted on the engineering of the bridge as well. We are very confident of the performance and value STRUXURE™ products deliver. For years, 70-ton tanks have been driving over a similar STRUXURE™ bridge on a U.S. army base," stated Dave Crane, AXION's Executive Vice President of Building Products.
"Advancements in technology are creating new economics and feasibility around recycled building materials. We are seeing increased adoption of our high performance, proven infrastructure grade building materials that make sense for communities both financially and environmentally," added AXION President and CEO Steve Silverman.
The 24.6 foot Onion Ditch Bridge is the longest span bridge made from 100% recycled plastic materials in North America and is only the second bridge of its kind on a public road, following one built using STRUXURE™ in York, Maine. Additionally, the St. Lawrence County Department of Highways in upstate New York has purchased STRUXURE™ to repair and restore bridges. Other tank and railroad bridges have been built using STRUXURE™ on domestic military bases supporting heavy loads like 70+ ton tanks and 120+ ton railroad locomotives. AXION bridge systems like this one in Ohio that span 15' to 25' lengths are competitive with traditional building products when considering long-term maintenance over the life of the structure.
Reportedly, 80% of the cost of the Onion Ditch Bridge was paid for by the Federal Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment Program, which provides funding for projects that demonstrate innovative accelerated bridge design and construction technology, and the application of innovative material technology.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, in 2011 143,899 bridges were either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, with a surface area exceeding 89 million square meters. The American Society of Civil Engineers' 2009 report states that while $10.5 billion is spent annually on the construction and maintenance of bridges, a $17 billion annual investment is needed to substantially improve current bridge conditions.