UMaine Researchers Issued Patent for New Retaining Wall Technology
Contact: Aimee Dolloff, (207) 581-3777; Habib Dagher, (207) 581-2138
ORONO, Maine — Researchers at the University of Maine have been awarded a patent on new technology that could change waterfront construction methods for both private individuals and large companies looking to build docks, piers, and port facilities.
Using technology developed at UMaine’s AEWC Composites Center, a team of researchers created extruded composite sheet piling panels to be used as retaining walls on waterfront property.
“These materials are intended to replace steel,” Dagher said.
They are resistant to corrosion even in saltwater and can be made in any color using either new or recycled materials. Each panel is sturdy enough to be driven into the ground, but is light enough to be lifted by one person. The panels easily connect to one another to form a continuous retaining wall or sea wall against almost any landscape.
“This material will outlast traditional materials — steel, concrete and wood,” Dagher said. “And unlike pressure treated wood there are no chemicals that can leach into the water.”
The sheets are made from wood flour, which can be described as very fine sawdust, and plastic resin from either new, recycled, or a combination of materials.
“At the end of its life, 100 years from now, you can pull these sheets out of the ground and recycle them,” Dagher said. “That’s the beauty of it. It’s a product that not only uses recycled material to make, but it can be recycled at the end of its life. It’s a truly green material.”
The panels have been tested in the lab and now are ready for commercialization, according to Dagher.
“We are looking to go ahead and commercialize the technology at a larger scale, starting with demo projects and then commercial development by licensing the technology to commercial facilities,” Dagher said. “The goal, of course, is to do this in Maine.”