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 Michael.Kemp@wagner.com.au

+61(0)7 4637 7755

Prof Thiru Aravinthan Thiru.Aravinthan@usq.edu.au

+619(0) 7 4631 1385