collaborate to innovate success story- wagners cft
TRANSCRIPT
Collaborate to Innovate
Wagners CFT – USQ success story
Prof Thiru Aravinthan CPEng (Aus), PE (USA)
Director, Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites University of Southern Queensland
Michael Kemp General Manager, Engineering + Business Development,
Wagners CFT
Our story… • R&D of composite materials and structures by Wagners CFT in the last two
decades have paved way to commercial successes in infrastructure.
• Pioneering work done in collaboration with USQ resulted in the first Australian fibre composite bridge installed in 2002.
• Since then, numerous projects involving innovative design and structural concepts using composites for infrastructure applications have been developed.
• Through close involvement with USQ, these technologies have evolved to become viable commercial alternatives to traditional structural solutions.
Contents • USQ / CEEFC Overview
• Wagners Overview
• FRP Materials – a Necessary Innovation
• Wagners and USQ Collaboration – Development – research and Testing
– Act as Buyers Representative
– Development of Design Rules and Guidelines
– Promotion of Technologies - Internationally
CEEFC at USQ provides
Through its multidisciplinary staff:
■ Collaborative R&D with industry
■ Research training at different levels
■ Consultancy and testing services through structural
and polymer testing
Wagners Overview
• Concrete
• Quarries
• Transport
Wagners Overview
• First greenfield public airport built since Tullamarine over 47 years ago
• First privately built public airport in Australia
• Available for regular passenger services (RPT)
• Runway 2.87km long x 45m wide (Code E) • Ideally located to service the Brisbane
West through to the Darling Downs and Surat Basin
Wagners - Innovation
• Composite Fibre Technologies
• Earth Friendly Concrete
• First Project 2000
• Wagners CFT Incorporated 2002
• CFT in 2013 – Approx 150 employees
– 25 Engineering / Technical Staff
– 24 / 7 Factory Production
– Prefabricated Composite elements supplied to every state of Australia
– Crossarms Supplied to Asia
– Road Bridges supplied to USA
Wagners CFT overview
Pultruded Sections Wagners methodology is to produce modular building components from which products for Civil Industry can be manufactured.
• 100x75x5 SHS
• 100x100x5 SHS
• 125x125x6.5 SHS
• 300x6 Flat
• 300x24 Flat
Wagners CFT overview
■ xxx
■ xxxxx
■ xxx
Wagners / USQ Collaboration
• Three main ways we have worked together
– Product Development Partners
• USQ provide facilities and expertise to Wagners
– USQ acts as Expert Advisor to Asset Owners
• No codes for Composites – USQ trusted to monitor production / provide independent advice
– Promotion of Technologies
• Attendance at International Conferences
Product Development Partners • Material Characterisation
– In development of Material Properties for Design USQ’s Structural testing facilities and expertise ensured testing completed in time with meaningful results
• Proof Testing of Products
Wagners / USQ Collaboration • Acting as Clients Representative • First Bridge in Road Network in
Australia – RMS contracted Wagners to
deliver bridge – RMS contracted USQ to perform
independent inspections on Wagners fabrication process to ensure Quality Requirements were met.
– Great Result – 10 Years later the bridge is performing equivalently to the day it was installed.
Acting as Buyers Representative
• Freshwater Apartments Newstead – Brisbane CC approached
USQ for advice on suitability of FRP Materials
– USQ provided expert advice that the technology was ready for such a project
– Great Results for USQ / Wagners and BCC
Promotion of Technologies • USQ/CEEFC participates in a large
number of conferences and highlights the R&D on an international scale
• CEEFC represents Australia on International societies of subject matter experts
• From a Conference in August 2014 Wagners has two new project opportunities in Germany and the USA as a result.
Concluding Remarks
• Australia has proven the potential of wide range of innovative applications of fibre composites in infrastructure
• The business strategy and marketing are key factors for a successful enterprise and meaningful R+D activities
• Need to ‘think outside the square’
• Partnerships like composites are important for a successful R&D to commercialisation outcome
• Collaboration to Innovate is a key to our success…
Michael Kemp [email protected]
+61(0)7 4637 7755
Prof Thiru Aravinthan [email protected]
+619(0) 7 4631 1385