The 4-year Trans-IND project is funded by the European Commission. It involves 21 partners, including constructors, machinery manufacturers, material providers, engineering societies and universities and research centres from 9 EU countries.
The primary objective of Trans-IND is to develop a flexible, cost-effective, performance and sustainable knowledge-based industrialisation system of FRP components for transport infrastructures through the complete integration of the whole construction process.
This system involves development of a conceptual model and modular designs using FRP based materials for all types of component, including off-site manufacturing, logistics, transport and on-site assembly, together with the ICT tools needed to manage the whole process.
Composite bridge components
The types of tranport components involved include road and pedestrian bridges, underpasses, containing walls, acoustic and safety barriers. Due to the high levels of complexity in bridge component manufacturing and assembly, the work will initially focus on composite bridge components.
“Fibre reinforced plastic based materials have become the material of choice for many transport infrastructure applications, but further integration of the entire supply and value chain is required, as is the development of high technologies for designing and manufacturing FRP components, to transform on-site construction and off-site manufacturing,” says Klaus Ritter, Marketing Manager in charge of transportation at Huntsman.
“Trans-IND is making a substantial contribution to the standardisation and development of new processes and technologies that will have a significant impact on components manufacturing and the transport manufacturing industry as a whole.”
Huntsman's role in the project is to define, develop and supply the resin systems for the composite parts and adhesives for parts assembly.
