FABRICATING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, SUCH AS I-BEAMS, FROM FIBERREINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS.

FABRICATING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, SUCH AS I-BEAMS, FROM FIBERREINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS. THESE ELEMENTS ARE EXPECTEDTO BE EXTREMELY STRONG, ONE-FOURTH THE DENSITY OF STEEL, ANDTO PERMIT CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS IN THE COST OF ERECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPLACEMENT OF BRIDGES, ETC. PHASE I WILL PRODUCE, TEST, AND ANALYZE I-BEAMS FABRICATED FROM SEVERAL MAGNAWEAVE CONSTRUCTIONS (WEAVE GEOMETRIES); THE PROGRAM WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF ADAPTING THE PROCESS TO BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS. IT WILL ALSO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF SUCH COMPOSITE SHAPES TO REDUCE THE COST AND COMPLEXITY OF BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, AND PROVIDE SOME ESTIMATE OF THE PROLONGED LIFETIME OF MAGNAWEAVE- BUILT BRIDGES. THE PROGRAM WILL OPERATE WITH DATA GENERATED ELSEWHERE FOR MATERIAL.