A Modular Composite Pier Deck (MCPD) for the Navy's Hybrid Pier

KCI will develop and compare a variety of designs for very large modular pultruded composite pier decking sections. KCI has considerable experience with design and fabrication of large composite panel structures. As part of a previous Phase II conducted for the Air Force, KCI designed and built what we believe to be the world's largest and most capable pultrusion machine. This machine is optimized specifically for fabrication of very low cost composite panels up to 10 feet wide. Because pultrusion is the least costly method for making constant cross section composite structures, the pier decking designs developed during this proposed program are expected to use that as the manufacturing process of choice. During Phase I we will develop several alternatives for deck concepts, each one involving a different combination of materials and geometry. Finite element analysis will be used to size each candidate to pier design loads. Manufacturing procedures will be conceptualized, and estimates for production cost of each option will be developed. KCI will also demonstrate the possibility of embedding fiber optic strain sensors in the composite structure during the pultrusion process in order to provide the ability for in-service health monitoring.