First Facility Making Fire-Safe, Filament-Wound Composite Concrete Pole Opens in Australia

BEIJING, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first fullscale production facility making breakthrough composite power distribution poles has opened by Dulhunty Power Ltd., in Australia. The composite poles are the first to provide strength, durability and fire resistance by combining the three technologies of filament-winding, high-performance concrete and alkali-resistant (AR) glass reinforcements.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100915/CL63318 )

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100915/CL63318 )

Developed by CMT Worldwide and Langdale Industries, the Eco-Titan™ composite pole is made with lightweight concrete, Owens Corning CemFIL® AR glass fibers and a vertical winding process that maximizes the performance of the raw materials and includes no metal. The result is:

• Glass fiber reinforcement percentage by weight of 15 percent, which is three times the 5 percent typically achieved in a glassreinforced concrete application
• Total weight that is less than half the weight of a comparable wooden pole while achieving break and deflection test results that are well within current standards
• Non-flammable and impervious to the ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunshine
• Non-corrosive, nonconductive and no electromagnetic interference

A study comparing the carbon footprint of the composite concrete pole with other poles typically used found the composite concrete pole to have the smallest carbon footprint of any of the manufactured poles. It was second only to treated wood at the 50-year expected lifespan of the wooden pole. At the projected 70-year lifespan for the composite concrete pole, the carbon footprint of the composite pole was clearly superior.

According to CMT Worldwide, the global distribution pole market is moving to engineered products for safety, cost and ease of use. The share of market for alternative materials is now approaching 40 percent and expected to continue growing rapidly in the next five to 10 years.

"Eco-Titan™ composite poles are the first truly new product for the power distribution market in 15 years," says Allen Sells, president of CMT Worldwide. "Our combination of materials and process technology results in an incredibly strong high-performance pole with excellent strength-to-weight qualities and the lowest carbon footprint of any manufactured pole product."

Owens Corning supported development of the composite concrete pole with technology for the reinforcements and fabrics. The company's Cem-FIL® AR glass reinforcements provide strength and durability in a wide variety of cement- and mortar-based composite applications including new and restored building facades, industrial flooring and tunnel lining.

"Glass fiber-reinforced concrete poles combine the benefits of composites and concrete," said Benoit Lorre, business development leader, Cem-FIL® glass fibers. "The result is a strong, lightweight and fire-safe pole that gives the market another way to move to composites and away from wood."

Dulhunty Power was the first licensee outside North America. Poles from the company's plant in Moolap, Victoria provide a needed option for utilities facing the threat of bushfire events each summer. Huge fires in the state of Victoria in February 2009 burned poles and downed power lines.

Fire testing was carried out earlier this year at Western Fire Center, Inc., in Kelso, Wash., USA. The twostep process subjected poles to accelerated weathering and direct flame. The test report from Western Fire said the composite concrete poles demonstrated performance they deem "Excellent."

The Eco-Titan™ composite pole was a finalist in the JEC Innovation Awards program for 2010 and was displayed at the JEC show in Paris in April. The technology is now being licensed globally. For more information, visit www.titanpoles.net.

For more about CemFIL® AR glass fibers, visit www.ocvreinforcements.com/solutions/Cem_FIL.asp.

About Owens Corning

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems and residential and commercial building materials. A Fortune 500 company for 56 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning had sales of $4.8 billion in 2009 and about 16,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. OCV™ Reinforcements, OCV™ Technical Fabrics and OCV™ Non-Woven Technologies are the three main business units that make up the Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business. The business delivers a broad range of reinforcement products that provide lightweight alternatives to steel, wood and aluminum, thereby reducing weight and improving energy efficiency. Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.

About CMT Worldwide LLC

CMT Worldwide and Composite Materials Technology (CMT), headquartered in Roswell, Ga., are leading developers and manufacturers of innovative, high-quality composite and concrete poles. CMT serves three markets with innovative engineered products – lighter duty structures for lighting markets, high-performance poles for the distribution utility markets, and multi-purpose products for the security and wireless networking markets.

About Dulhunty Power Ltd.

Dulhunty Power (ASX:DUL) is a manufacturer and supplier of quality Electricity Transmission and Distribution products. The company has manufacturing plants in Australia (Sydney), China (Yangzhou), Thailand (Bangkok) and Malaysia (Darul Ehsan), as well as sales offices in New Zealand (Auckland), North America and Hong Kong.

(1) Eco-Titan is a trademark of CMT Worldwide

SOURCE Owens Corning