U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined Maine Department of Transportation officials, University of Maine researchers, Advanced Infrastructure Technology (AIT) Bridges and industry partners at the Grist Mill Bridge in Hampden on Friday May 21, 2021 to celebrate groundbreaking research leading the country towards a sustainable, low-cost transportation system of the future.

The 75-foot single-span Grist Mill Bridge carries traffic across Souadabscook Creek. It is the first in the country to use fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) tank beams called GBeams, designed and patented at the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center and licensed to AIT Bridges.

Habib Dagher, executive director of the UMaine Composites Center, highlighted GBeam technology in a recent hearing before the US Senate Transportation Credits Subcommittee co-chaired by Collins.

“Grist Mill Bridge is the result of an excellent partnership between the University of Maine, AIT Bridges and the federal and state departments of transportation. By working together, they have taken a significant step forward in advanced construction technology, while spurring economic growth and job creation here in Maine, ”Collins said. “As a leading member of the Transportation Credits Subcommittee, my priority is to improve our country’s infrastructure and ensure that Maine’s needs are met. I had the honor of inviting Dr Dagher to Washington last week to witness how the design of the Grist Mill Bridge and other impressive examples of UMaine’s research and development can be used in projects of infrastructure across the country.

The patented GBeam technology is the result of research and development at the UMaine Composites Center, which licensed it to AIT Bridges, the university’s commercialization partner for this technology. Research funding was provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC and the US Department of Transportation through the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center run by UMaine. The GBeams used in the Grist Mill Bridge project were manufactured at the AIT Bridges plant in Brewer, Maine.

GBeam technology is corrosion resistant and designed to last over 100 years with little to no maintenance. Composite beams are lightweight and weigh only a quarter of the weight of steel beams. GBeam technology is a promising, durable, economical and easy to install alternative.

“The big draw here is sustainability,” said MaineDOT commissioner Bruce Van Note. “Time won’t have quite the same price on the composite beams of this bridge. We predict this structure will require less maintenance over time and could last 25 years longer than its conventional counterparts. At MaineDOT, we believe that sponsoring this new technology will have long-term benefits for taxpayers and travelers in Maine. “

The technology is compact, lightweight, and can be deployed very quickly and easily, Dagher said. The beams are designed to be stackable, which reduces transport costs and lowers their carbon footprint.

“One flatbed truck can carry enough beams for four 70-foot-long bridges. That’s four Grist Mill decks on an extendable bed, ”Dagher said. And since they are lightweight, common rental cranes could be used during installation.

The practicability of GBeam technology is further enhanced by the bolt system that connects the beams to the concrete deck, allowing the deck to be quickly removed for future replacement after 50 years without a jackhammer. Ease of deck replacement will reduce construction costs and minimize disruptive road closures.

The many benefits of GBeam composite technology are attracting the interest of transportation departments across the United States. The technology is already expected to be used in bridge replacement projects in Washington, California, Florida and Rhode Island. In Maine, the technology will also be used in the Hampden Twin Bridge project which will begin construction in 2022. The beams for these bridges will be manufactured by AIT and shipped to destinations across the country.

“This is an example of a University of Maine research-commercialization initiative helping to meet state and nationwide infrastructure needs while providing learning experiences. practices for students and jobs in Maine, ”said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “Composites Center UMaine students are part of the workforce of tomorrow, making their own contribution today and leadership for the future. This is all made possible by the state’s investments in research and development, as well as the vision and support of the Maine congressional delegation and lawmakers. “

“The R&D we are conducting at the Composites Center provides practical solutions to deal with the deterioration of our infrastructure that is more sustainable, sustainable and profitable, and that creates jobs right here in Maine,” said Dagher. “Thank you Senator Collins, Commissioner Van Note, our partners in the US Army Corps of Engineers, for your leadership in making this remarkable milestone possible. The Grist Mill Bridge showcases real-world applications resulting from cutting-edge research in composite materials.

“AIT Bridges is honored to commemorate this first GBeam Bridge alongside the University of Maine, Senator Susan Collins and MaineDOT,” said Brit Svoboda, President and CEO of AIT. “The Grist Mill Bridge once again proves the viability and obligation of building more sustainable FRP composite bridges in Maine and across the country. The addition of the GBeam composite bridge system to the already successful GArch composite bridge system means that AIT bridges can provide a more complete solution to the bridge industry. “

The University of Maine has load-tested the Grist Mill Bridge with support from MaineDOT and US DOT. The bridge has been successfully tested with over 260,000 pounds of load carried by four MaineDOT trucks. The two-day testing provided baseline performance data for researchers at UMaine and AIT Bridges to refine the design of GBeam.

About the University of Maine:

The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state university for land grants, marine grants, and space grants. It is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. As Maine’s flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of education, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the only public research university in the state and among the most comprehensive higher education institutions in the Northeast. It attracts students from all 50 states and over 75 countries. UMaine currently hosts 11,741 undergraduate and graduate students who have the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class academics. UMaine offers more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn master’s, doctoral, or master’s degrees in professional science, as well as graduate certificates. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial campus-wide efforts to conserve energy, recycle, and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information on UMaine, visit umaine.edu.