FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Fort Eustis hosted a media day for the newly-constructed Recycled Structural Composite Bridges May 27.
During the event, members of the media spoke with subject matter experts from the Fort Eustis Directorate of Public Works, the main contractor Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc., and the producers of the Recycled Structural Composite material Axion International Holding, Inc. about the design and construction of the bridges. Afterward, media members obtained photos and video of a U.S. Army Transportation School and Center locomotive passing across the bridge.
The former Bridge #3 and Bridge #7 were made of wood, and they had aged to a point of concern in supporting the engines and rolling stock used by the U.S. Army Transportation School during training of Transportation Reserve Soldiers in the proper operation of locomotives.
"This has been a great project. The bridge was made out of nearly 100 percent recycled product, and it was a winning situation between Fort Eustis and our contracting team," said Phil Reed, Fort Eustis DPW Engineering Division chief. "Not only will it cut our maintenance cost for years to come, but it will last longer than the 57-year-old bridge we removed."
The two new bridges are the first of their kind in the U.S. They are made completely of RSC, a nearly 100 percent recycled material made of post-consumer and industrial plastics.
"The magic to this material is quite simple; we're taking 100 percent recycled materials and pulling them out of land fields and re-diverting them into useful life," said Jim Kerstein, Axion CEO. "For example, 20-year-old milk jugs laying around that have not degraded can now be used as recycled materials."
The Fort Eustis Directorate of Public Works, through Centennial, has been overseeing the work of various contractors, to include Axion, English Construction Company, Inc., B&R Contractors, McCallum Testing, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Innovative Green Solutions, on the bridges since the contract was awarded in September 2009 for $1.37 million to Centennial.