Clarkson University Startup Earns NYSDOT Approval

POTSDAM, N.Y., Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A company co-founded by a Clarkson University alumnus has made a major breakthrough in the world of bridge building. KLAW Industries' inventive cement replacement product Pantheon^™ officially received approval from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and is being used for the first time on a $21.2 million bridge project in Whitney Point, NY.

Pantheon^™ is a partial cement replacement for concrete created from post-consumer glass. Using a patented process, unwanted materials are removed from waste glass to create a high-quality cement replacement.

Pantheon^™ increases the strength of concrete by reacting with cement to add additional calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) to the concrete. C-S-H is the crystal structure that gives concrete its strength and durability. This allows concrete producers to lower their cement content, improve strength, and lower carbon emissions.

"NYSDOT approval is the 'highest law in the land' for concrete materials in New York," said KLAW Industries co-founder, Electrical Engineer and Clarkson Alumnus Jack Lamuraglia. "The approval has set KLAW Industries on a path to sell Pantheon^™ across the state."

KLAW Industries was founded in 2019 by Lamuraglia, and Mechanical Engineer Jacob Kumpon after touring recycling facilities and seeing firsthand the problems with post-consumer glass. The goal of the founders was to create a company that solved tangible problems for recyclers and concrete producers.

Concrete producers are struggling with the supply of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM's) and recycling facilities are struggling to find an end market for glass. Pantheon^™ was developed to solve both of these problems.

KLAW Industries got its start at The Cube, Clarkson's student business incubator program, under the mentorship of Director of Ignite Ashley Sweeney and Director of the Shipley Center for Innovation Jamey Hoose. Since then, KLAW Industries has scaled up production, won millions of dollars in funding from business plan competitions and grants nationwide, opened a production facility in New York State, and even used its Pantheon^™ product in a sidewalk project on Clarkson's campus.

"The Clarkson project spurred interest in adoption from others, such as the City of Binghamton and, eventually, the NYSDOT," Lamuraglia said.

In 2022, the City of Binghamton used Pantheon^™ in its curb and sidewalk project, resulting in awards for both the City and KLAW Industries from the American Concrete Institute.

Now, New York State has begun its first project using Pantheon^™. The product is being used to replace the U.S. Route 11 bridge over the Tioughnioga River, construct 1.5 miles of new ADA-compliant sidewalks along both sides of U.S. Route 11 from Main Street to Keibel Road, and install new crosswalks at Whitney Point Middle School and the Broome County Fairgrounds.

"This project, which enhances safety and walkability while replacing a 77-year-old bridge, is a solid investment in the future of Whitney Point, which is home to one of the best county fairs in the entire Empire State," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press release announcing the project partnership. "Coupled with innovations in new technology that will lower carbon emissions, this project will not only shore up the Village's infrastructure, but make it a more resilient place to live, work and raise a family."

As KLAW Industries continues its growth, the company has begun fundraising efforts.

KLAW Industries is currently raising $1.75 Million in funding to scale up its Binghamton production facility to meet growing demand in New York.

"When we started at Clarkson, no one had heard of Pantheon^™," Lamuraglia said. "Now we just can't make enough product to satisfy our customers. We are raising money to rapidly expand our production capabilities."

Once fundraising is complete, KLAW Industries will recycle all the glass in the City of Binghamton, and will fully utilize their current production facility. From there the team aims to expand Pantheon^™ production nationwide.

For more information on KLAW Industries, visit klawindustries.com.

SOURCE Clarkson University