(The following story by Abby Gruen appeared on The Star-Ledger website on May 10, 2010.)
NEWARK, N.J. — Axion International announced today that it has completed the first of two railroad bridges at a U.S. Army facility in Virginia constructed from 100 percent recycled post-consumer and industrial plastic. The bridge can support the weight of a 120 ton locomotive.
The patented recycled structural composite material, developed in conjunction with scientists at Rutgers University, had already passed initial field tests, the New Providence-based company said in a press release today.
The new short-span bridges will extend approximately 40 and 80 feet. Both bridges are designed to deliver a high-load rating of 130 tons which is necessary in order to transport locomotives and freight. They are located in Fort Eustis, Virginia, home to the US Army Transportation Corps, which is the branch of the US Army responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air and sea.
The bridges are less expensive to build than ones using steel, concrete or wood and are designed in a manner that are nearly maintenance-free and eco-friendly, said chief executive officer James Kerstein.