Axion International Holdings, Inc., a leader in Recycled Structural Composite (RSC)™ technology used in producing railroad ties and bridges, announced today that R&D Magazine named the company’s I-beam design as one of the Top 3 worldwide innovations of 2011. The announcement came after receiving one of only three R&D 100 Editor’s Choice Awards at the R&D 100 Awards Ceremony in Orlando, Florida on October 13th.
For almost 50 years, the prestigious R&D 100 Awards have recognized the year’s best new high-technology products. Determined by a panel of experts chosen by R&D Magazine, the award recognizes the most important innovations of the year. The award for the innovative recycled plastic design was granted to the following joint developers and contributors to the I-beam project: the U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center, Rutgers University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McLaren Engineering Group, and Axion International Holdings, Inc.
Axion had already announced that its “All Thermoplastic Composite, I-Beam Design, High Capacity Bridge System” was recognized by R&D Magazine as one of the top 100 technologies in the world; now, it has received the additional distinction of having a product that’s been named one of the Top 3 most innovative technologies across the globe. The US Army at Fort Bragg, NC used the I-beam design to allow for the crossing of an M1 Abrams Tank weighing in at approximately 70+ tons over several bridges designed from 100% recycled plastic.
“To have this technology take its place as an R&D 100 Award winner alongside major think tanks, governmental agencies, and various technological innovators speaks volumes with regard to the joint effort put forth by our team and is truly rewarding,” stated Axion Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Jim Kerstein. “For a company of our size to even be mentioned with some of the other giants of industry recognized here is truly a testimonial to how innovative and effective a public, private and academic partnership can be. To be selected by the editors of R&D Magazine as a top 3 technology for the year 2011 is not only a thrill for everyone involved, but serves to support the role that this technology could play in greening tomorrow’s infrastructure and reducing the role of planned obsolescence in building materials.”
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