“Composite Rebar Technology ready to take the reins and leave steel behind”

By David Peck

MADISON – Steel reinforcement bar has been the backbone of the concrete construction industry since the first skyscraper towered over Manhattan. Unfortunately, it is a backbone that also has a bad side effect: Steel reinforcement bar corrodes. This leads to the deterioration of concrete structures we use every day, such as bridges and building foundations.

The people working at Composite Rebar Technology in Madison have found a new way to eliminate corrosion while at the same time strengthening the rebar. The result will be concrete structures that will last much longer.

Composite Rebar Technology uses a patented, fiber-reinforced polymer rebar developed at Oregon State University. This new rebar consists of a hollow glass fiber reinforced with a resin cover and then covered with a carbon fiber. The durability of the rebar is enhanced with an ultraviolet resistant outer shell. This new composite rebar is not affected by salt or concrete alkalinity.

This rebar is not only one quarter the weight of steel, but it is also stronger. Since the center of the rebar is non-efficient and hollow, it allows it to be made in many different diameters. The bigger diameters of this new hollow rebar become useful because it allows room for telephone, data or fiber optic cables to be run directly through the concrete structure.

The major focus of Composite Rebar Technology is on road and bridge construction. This isn’t just a product that focuses on new construction. Composite Rebar Technology is also projecting itself into the estimated $1.6 trillion dollar market of existing structures that are either failing or have already failed and are in need of repair. With an estimate of more than a quarter of all U.S. bridges being structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, it will require $9.4 billion annually over the next 20 years to complete repairs.

Spurred on in part by the collapse of the I-35 bridge in the Twin Cities, Congress is working on approving $284 billion over the next six years to improve the bridges and roads in the United States.

The innovative nature of the composite rebar means the company will focus on multiple markets, according to founder Robert Gibson. There is also a major demand for rebar construction in coastal areas where marine infrastructures that have been corroded due to the affects of salt. This market is not as large, but is still around $4 billion annually.

Steel rebar continues to be the standard of the concrete construction industry with 14 billion feet per year being utilized in concrete construction, As a result, Composite Rebar Technology is not going to take over the industry right away. Moving away from steel is going to take time and some re-educating of contractors, architects, and construction engineers as to the advantages of Composite Rebar Technology. However, with several successful installations already, the future of this new age rebar looks bright.

What is next for Composite Rebar Technology? They were among 40 early stage companies that presented to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison, held Nov. 5-6.

Composite Rebar Technology is reinventing a product that has been used for decades. It is a product that is lighter, stronger, resistant to corrosion and capable of serving as a communications conduit. At a time when there are serious concerns about the nation’s infrastructure, Composite Rebar Technology may help change the construction industry for the better.

Peck is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.

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