Decay and marine borers cause millions of dollars of damage in wooden waterfront structures each year. Damaged wood piles are usually extracted and disposed of in a landfill. In many cases, however, the most economical solution to dealing with these deteriorated structures could be to repair the existing piling rather than to remove it. Researchers at AEWC have developed a durable method of repairing in situ deteriorated wood piling using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite splices. This research could help preserve marine structures, reduce disposal of chemically treated piles in landfills, and introduce new composite technologies to coastal communities. 

Funding Partners:  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Science Foundation; Maine Seagrant

Publication

• Lopez-Anido R, Michael A, Sandford T. Experimental Characterization of FRP Composite-Wood Pile Interface by Push-Out Tes  Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2003. Jan 12-16, 2003.

Media

• Page D. Battle Turns in Shipworm War. earthlink.net. 2002.

• Sea Grant news: Shipworms, ozone, hurricanes. scienceblog.net. April 2002.