Dec 14 2012
AXION International Holdings, Inc., a leader in recycled plastic and plastic composite technologies used to produce ECOTRAX™ rail ties and STRUXURE™ building products, announced today that it has launched a new product line, STRUXURE™ Construction and Equipment Mats. STRUXURE™ Construction Mats have been installed and in use by Northeast Remsco Construction, Inc. for the past two months under a joint testing agreement.
A 117,000 pound CAT 349E hydraulic excavator on STRUXURE(TM) Construction Mats
STRUXURE™ mats were initially installed on a sewer site in Old Bridge, New Jersey, where they have immediately proven successful, outlasting their timber-based competition. As part of the joint testing agreement, STRUXURE™ mats will be removed from Old Bridge in the coming weeks when that construction project is completed and moved to another Northeast Resmco construction site for continued use.
Continuing the problem-solving strategy of the ECOTRAX™ line, the STRUXURE™ construction mats are more durable than timber-based models in harsh environmental conditions. The STRUXURE™ mats will not rot or absorb moisture and are extremely durable. The STRUXURE™ design takes advantage of the higher compressive and ultimate strength -- as compared to mixed-hardwood products -- of AXION's recycled structural composite material.
"We have been building infrastructure for more than thirty years," explained Northeast Remsco's Equipment Manager John Gutierrez. "We have not seen a construction mat this durable. STRUXURE™ mats exceeded our expectations."
In application for Northeast Remsco Construction, Inc., STRUXURE™ construction mats outlasted the timber-based models that began to degrade soon after installation. With a 117,000-pound CAT 349E hydraulic excavator and 80,000-pound loaded dump truck, the STRUXURE™ mats proved durable, resisting abrasion from the treads of the excavator. Since installation one month ago, the timber-based mats have been taken out of service, while the STRUXURE™ mats show little to no signs of wear.
"It is simple. We make a tough mat for the toughest conditions," stated AXION's EVP for Building Products Dave Crane. "Lighter weight at higher performance is what we are selling."
Durability in muddy, wet conditions has been a consistent problem for timber-based construction mats under heavy-treaded equipment. STRUXURE™ mats excel in the harshest conditions, given that the material is impervious to moisture and salt and is resistant to abrasion, whether it is from gravel or treads on tracked construction equipment.
AXION's southern-New Jersey based distributor Environmental Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) made the introduction to Northeast Remsco. EIS supplied silt fence and geotextile fabric to Northeast Remsco for the project and recognized the immediate environmental benefit of applying AXION's patent-protected green technology in an industry that needed a lasting solution. Traditional wood mats have a short life, need to be frequently replaced, and cause a disposal problem for the industry at the end of their useful life.
"What do you do with rotted, wooden construction mats?" asked EIS President Charles Schlapfer, "You can't do anything with them. AXION's solution is recyclable at the end of its functional life, a life that will also greatly exceed wooden mats. This is a break-through in this industry."
Total non-building construction in the U.S., which includes public works and electrical utilities, exceeded $147 billion in 2011 and is projected to end 2012 over $151 billion.* Construction and equipment mats are widely used for many infrastructure projects to access sites, such as the one in Old Bridge, New Jersey, as heavy equipment would sink into the ground or cause damage to environmentally-sensitive areas.
"Our strategy is to enter markets where our superior green technology provides a solution," explained AXION CEO Steve Silverman, "When I visited the site with the inventor of our technology, Tom Nosker, Ph.D., we knew immediately how well our STRUXURE™ mats perform -- that we are providing a valuable solution to a difficult problem: degradation of supplies at a construction site."
With access to remote areas proving difficult for heavy equipment, construction mats are used to facilitate development of infrastructure, from oil and gas pipeline to sewer lines. When timber-based mats degrade, access is limited, causing delays in the completion of critical infrastructure projects.
"It is clear that our STRUXURE™ mats will outlast others in the market today. We make tough mats! I saw it at the site in Old Bridge, and I believe that our value in the construction of tomorrow's infrastructure will be realized today," added Silverman.
*2013 Dodge Construction Outlook by McGraw-Hill Construction