JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #81 - May/June 2013 - 38

awards

official partner

Defense & Protection

The High Curvature Armour Systems
High Curvature Armour Systems (HCAS)
focuses on the ongoing development of
a suite of next generation manufacturing.
The materials and process technologies will
deliver improved personnel armour to the
contemporary Australian and combatant.
The manufacturing of combat helmets was
led by using low cost tooling and the latest
ballistic materials with a modified double diaphragm deep drawing process. It improves
the mechanical and ballistic performance of
the finished article. The novel light-weight
composite armour demonstrates the formability of a polymer with ballistic characteristics close to those of sintered ceramics. This
armour is shape specific (quasi-rigid, soft)
which improves the impact response and
protection of female combatants. The market

potential is very high within the defense industry and there is a possibility forcivilian applications. The modified double diaphragm
deep drawing process (d4) developed in this
project eliminates the requirements for splicing and touch labour common to the current
technologies used in helmet manufacture –
this markedly improves the mechanical and
ballistic performance of the finished article.
The process is also compatible with other
high modulus fibre systems such as carbon
fibre composites which are seeing expanded
use in military vehicle platforms. These technologies will put Australian industry one step
closer to having the ability to deliver superior
lower cost armour to the Australian defense
Force and allied military and paramilitary
customers.

Use of FRP waste in concrete mixtures
The present work is the result of the initiative taken by Smithline reinforced Composites (SrC), a leading manufacturer of
superior quality reinforced composite pipes
and allied products and other grP/grVE/
grE products in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE). The primary market where the company’s product are applicable are various
streams of infrastructure- construction, petrochemical plants, sewerage line, drainage
lines, desalination plants, portable water supplies and cooling water lines. SrC associated
with VIT University through an incubation
program had entrusted VIT University a
task to develop value added products and
application from the FrP waste generated
in their present manufacturing unit in the
UAE. These new lines of composite material
developed jointly by Smithline and VIT
University will initially target the industrial
concrete flooring market. However, the
future research and materials developed are
expected to also offer sustainable new solutions for constructional applications.
Construction activity especially in the housing market which declined precipitously
during 2007-2009 is witnessing a significant improvement in the post recession
period. As a result the demand for cheaper
alternative concrete products is expected to

increase by approximately 6% annually. by
2015 the demand for these products will be
driven by the expected rebound in the construction activity. growth will be spurred
by the rising use of more lighter and durable
materials in place of the conventional construction materials. There is a great potential
for FrP-Concrete composite products in
the office, commercial and institutional markets where such products will be preferred
because of their ease of installation and
longer life.
With governmental legislations becoming
more restrictive and promoting the development of more sustainable recycling and
reuse solutions, the FrP industry needs to
develop additional sustainable solutions to
cope with the increasing FrP waste production. The following are the key benefits of
this investigation:
• Waste generated in the cutting of FRP
pipes is fit for concrete production if
incorporated up to the extent of 15%.which
means the fine aggregate (sand) cost savings
up to 15%
• Increased proportions of FRP waste in
concrete decreased the density resulting in a
lighter weight product.
• Reuse of FRP waste in concrete is
technically feasible for applications where

38 jec composites magazine / No81 May - June 2013

Winner: Vcamm Limited (Australia)
Partnership Network: defence Materials Technology Centre (Australia),
Australian defence Apparel (Australia),
deakin University (Australia), Australian government department of
defence(Australia) – defence Science
and Technology Organisation (dSTO),
PacificESI (Australia), ballistic and
Mechanical Testing Pty Ltd. (Australia)

Recycling
Winner: Smithline reinforced
Composites (United Arab Emirates)
Partnership Network: VIT University
(India)

compressive strength is not the main
requirement, thus a better option for use in
the manufacture of non structural applications such as pre cast paving slabs, roof tiles,
precast concrete wall elements, light weight
concrete, concrete paving blocks and architectural cladding materials.
• The compounds in FRP waste have the
potential to act as additives to improve the
binding and the adhesion of concrete.
• The glass fiber content of the GFRP waste
contributed to the improved reinforcement
in the cement composites.
• The use of GFRP waste in concrete contributes to cost savings associated with waste
storage, handling, transport and landfill tax
payment.

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #81 - May/June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #81 - May/June 2013