New Scientist cites composite bridge project in article on future skyscrapers
The University of Maine’s award-winning Composite Arch Bridge System known as the Bridge-In-A-BackpackTM was mentioned in the New Scientist article, “Skyscrapers of the future will be held together with glue.” The author wrote that glue is the future of architecture because of lightweight nonmetallic composites, such as carbon fibre, fiberglass panels and other structural plastics. The composites are often much cheaper than traditional industrial materials and offer physically stronger systems for designers to work with, according to the article. The author cited UMaine’s Composite Arch Bridge System, which is exploring the construction of lightweight bridges, as a successful building project that uses these techniques. “Made from carbon fibre tubes, with individual arches weighing so little they can be carried by four people, these road bridges can be assembled in less than two weeks,” the author wrote. In the United States, 18 bridges have already been built using UMaine’s composite bridge system, the article states. Construction Dive and also reported on the bridge system, and Geek cited the New Scientist article.