Thermoplastic Composite Load-Bearing Plate Used in Concrete Expansion Joints
The continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite load-bearing board, PolyDowel™, developed by Avient Group in collaboration with ReForm Composites, has been successfully applied in infrastructure projects in Florida, USA.
The marine environment is harsh, and traditional marine engineering, mainly composed of reinforced concrete and steel structures, faces severe durability challenges. There is an urgent need for high-durability, long-life new materials and structures in marine engineering. Thermoplastic resin-based composite reinforcement offers advantages such as multiple reshaping capabilities, high toughness, and good durability, making it more suitable for marine engineering applications. In the construction of berths 6 and 7 at the Kemeng operation area of Luoyuan Bay, Fuzhou Port, the owner and the construction unit successfully demonstrated the application of technological achievements from the 2024 project "Performance Research and Demonstration of Thermoplastic Composite Stirrup" by the Harbin Institute of Technology's Non-metallic Materials Innovation Center. The high-performance thermoplastic composite reinforcement developed in this project enhanced the long-term service performance of the wharf surface and fender pile structures, providing a good demonstration effect for the large-scale application of thermoplastic composite reinforcement in wharf engineering.
ReForm is a company located in Maine, USA, focusing on engineering and manufacturing, dedicated to providing continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite (CFRTP) solutions for the concrete infrastructure sector.
ReForm utilizes its patented technology—Continuous Forming Machine (CFM), a thermoplastic pultrusion technology, to process CFRTP laminates into continuous profiles. This technology integrates an integrated thermoforming process to achieve products with curves, complex shapes, and multi-geometric designs, overcoming the limitations of traditional pultrusion technology which is restricted to linear profiles. Leveraging this technological advantage, ReForm is actively promoting the application of CFRTP materials, making full use of their lightweight and corrosion-resistant characteristics, to support the development of next-generation concrete infrastructure.
ReForm has just launched a CFRTP diamond dowel for flat concrete construction—PolyDowel™. This product uses CFM technology and is made from Avient's Polystrand® continuous glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic laminates. Avient ensures a seamless manufacturing process by precisely cutting the thermoplastic composite (TPC) laminates to specific dimensions, while minimizing material waste. Compared to traditional steel dowels, thermoplastic composite (TPC) dowels offer superior durability and can significantly enhance the performance of concrete joints.
In early 2025, PolyDowel™ was successfully applied for the first time in the Tradition Heart Square project in Port St. Lucie, Florida, a densely populated area, validating its on-site performance.
Cody Schertler, CEO of ReForm, stated, "The construction industry has always faced challenges in promoting the application of composite materials due to its sensitivity to costs. We have partnered with Avient to launch a cost-effective solution that brings the performance advantages of advanced composite materials into the concrete sector, which is expected to accelerate the adoption of this product in the construction and building industry."
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