VolturnUS 1:8

In Summer 2013, the center developed the first grid-connected wind turbine in the United States[6] and the only floating turbine with a concrete hull in the world. The patented VolturnUS[7][8] technology is the culmination of collaborative research and development conducted by the University of Maine and the DeepCwind Consortium. VolturnUS 1:8 is a 65-foot-tall floating turbine prototype; 1:8 scale 6 megawatt (MW) rotor designed with a diameter of 425 feet. Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and others.

Maine's Aqua Ventus, I, GP, LLC, is pursuing a 12 MW demonstration project off the coast of Monhegan Island, using Volturn US floating platform technology.[9]

DeepCLiDAR

DeepCLiDAR is an advanced LIDAR-equipped metocean buoy, created with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Maine Institute of Technology. DeepCLiDAR can be used in remote marine environments to provide high-quality, low-cost offshore wind resource data, metocean monitoring and ecological characterization capabilities. Developed in partnership with Dr. Neal Pettigrew of the UMaine Physical Oceanography Group, AWS Truepower, and NRG Renewable Systems.

Composite Arch Bridge System

The Composite Arch Bridge System, commonly known as Bridge in a Suitcase TM, is a lightweight, corrosion-resistant system for the construction of short to medium span bridges using composite arch tubes that act as reinforcement and formwork for cast-in-place concrete.[10] The center's innovative composite bridge system is approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Bureaus, lowers construction costs, extends the structural span life by 100 years and is a greener alternative to concrete and steel construction. Advanced Infrastructure Technologies is a company licensed by the University of Maine to produce these bridges.

In January 2017, Advanced Infrastructure Technologies signed a North American distribution and marketing agreement with Terre Armee Group / Terrain Reinforcement Company which seeks to expand the adoption of composite arch bridge system technology.[11]

Longest composite bridge in the world

The long-term durability of bridges is a major concern for transportation departments across the country. In response to this issue, the UMaine Composites Center validated a hybrid composite girder designed by HC Bridge Company, LLC, which was manufactured by Harbor Technologies in Brunswick, Maine. The hybrid composite girder, made of fiber-reinforced polymer, is lightweight, corrosion-resistant and strong enough to be used in bridge construction. The Knickerbocker Bridge, over the Back River in Boothbay, ME, is the longest composite bridge in the world at 540 feet long and is 32 feet wide. The bridge opened to traffic in 2011.

MAKO

Designed in conjunction with Hodgdon Defense Composites and Maine Marine Manufacturing, the UMaine Composites Center tested a special operations boat with an all-composite hull to replace the aluminum hull currently used by the US Navy Seals. This 83-foot-long impact-resistant prototype is the result of a US$15 million research and development project that resulted in the first composite helmet for the US Navy.

Secure Hybrid Composites Shipping Container

Sponsored by the Homeland Safety Department, the UMaine Composites Center developed a patent-pending shipping container[12] that mitigates safety risks associated with marine cargo. The Georgia Tech Research Institute designed the security system for the container, introducing embedded sensors to detect intrusions, door sensors to monitor access to the container, and a communication system capable of reporting security status from anywhere in the world. This technology is now being tested towards commercialization.

Modular Ballistic Protection System (MBPS)

MBPS, developed in conjunction with the US Navy's Natick Soldier RD&E Center, provides soldiers with enhanced ballistic protection in the field. The patent-pending MBPS[13] is a fast-rising, re-deployable and lightweight ballistic protection system. MBPS provides ballistic protection for personnel and equipment at expeditionary base camps where mobility and rapid deployment are requirements that preclude the immediate use of heavy systems such as sandbags and concrete barriers. MBPS requires no tools to reinforce a 20' x 32' tent and can be deployed in less than 30 minutes by 4 soldiers.

Explosion Resistant Structures

In conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC, the UMaine Composites Center developed blast-resistant structures with wood-covered frame members, panels and subassemblies.[14] These blast resistant materials are economically coated to improve the construction material's ductility and energy dissipation capacity. In addition to superior explosive resistance, the benefits of these structures include: cost efficiencies, ease of assembly, environmental durability, rapid deployment, high strength-to-weight ratio, and protection from moisture absorption, termites, ants, and biodegradation.

In 1996, the center was opened as the Center for Advanced Engineered Wood Composites. In 2012, the organization formally adopted a name change approved by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures. This name change was a reflection of research focuses expanding beyond wood composites to include other areas such as: ocean energy, defense and aerospace composites, civil infrastructure and nanocomposites.

2000 - 2015

On October 13, 2015, Dr. Habib Dagher, Founding Director of the Center for Advanced Composites and Structures at the University of Maine was recognized as the Transportation Change Champion by the White House.[16] Dr. Dagher is the primary inventor of the compound arch bridge system.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gave him the Pankow Award for Innovation, presented to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures for the development of the Maleta Bridges on March 31, 2011.[17].

The American Composites Manufacturing Association awarded the Most Creative Product Award to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures for its Bridge in a Suitcase TM, February 2010.[18].

The American Composites Manufacturing Association awarded the Most Creative Product Award to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures for its explosive-resistant panels on January 16, 2009.[19]

The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) awarded the People's Choice award for exhibiting the highest degree of design, innovation, creativity and the best use of composite materials to a Modular Ballistic Protection System on October 15, 2007.[20].

The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) awarded the Best in Show award, recognized as the composites industry's highest award for the finest product of the year, to the Modular Ballistic Protection System on October 15, 2007.[21]

VolturnUS 1:8

In Summer 2013, the center developed the first grid-connected wind turbine in the United States[6] and the only floating turbine with a concrete hull in the world. The patented VolturnUS[7][8] technology is the culmination of collaborative research and development conducted by the University of Maine and the DeepCwind Consortium. VolturnUS 1:8 is a 65-foot-tall floating turbine prototype; 1:8 scale 6 megawatt (MW) rotor designed with a diameter of 425 feet. Funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and others.

Maine's Aqua Ventus, I, GP, LLC, is pursuing a 12 MW demonstration project off the coast of Monhegan Island, using Volturn US floating platform technology.[9]

DeepCLiDAR

DeepCLiDAR is an advanced LIDAR-equipped metocean buoy, created with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Maine Institute of Technology. DeepCLiDAR can be used in remote marine environments to provide high-quality, low-cost offshore wind resource data, metocean monitoring and ecological characterization capabilities. Developed in partnership with Dr. Neal Pettigrew of the UMaine Physical Oceanography Group, AWS Truepower, and NRG Renewable Systems.

Composite Arch Bridge System

The Composite Arch Bridge System, commonly known as Bridge in a Suitcase TM, is a lightweight, corrosion-resistant system for the construction of short to medium span bridges using composite arch tubes that act as reinforcement and formwork for cast-in-place concrete.[10] The center's innovative composite bridge system is approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Bureaus, lowers construction costs, extends the structural span life by 100 years and is a greener alternative to concrete and steel construction. Advanced Infrastructure Technologies is a company licensed by the University of Maine to produce these bridges.

In January 2017, Advanced Infrastructure Technologies signed a North American distribution and marketing agreement with Terre Armee Group / Terrain Reinforcement Company which seeks to expand the adoption of composite arch bridge system technology.[11]

Longest composite bridge in the world

The long-term durability of bridges is a major concern for transportation departments across the country. In response to this issue, the UMaine Composites Center validated a hybrid composite girder designed by HC Bridge Company, LLC, which was manufactured by Harbor Technologies in Brunswick, Maine. The hybrid composite girder, made of fiber-reinforced polymer, is lightweight, corrosion-resistant and strong enough to be used in bridge construction. The Knickerbocker Bridge, over the Back River in Boothbay, ME, is the longest composite bridge in the world at 540 feet long and is 32 feet wide. The bridge opened to traffic in 2011.

MAKO

Designed in conjunction with Hodgdon Defense Composites and Maine Marine Manufacturing, the UMaine Composites Center tested a special operations boat with an all-composite hull to replace the aluminum hull currently used by the US Navy Seals. This 83-foot-long impact-resistant prototype is the result of a US$15 million research and development project that resulted in the first composite helmet for the US Navy.

Secure Hybrid Composites Shipping Container

Sponsored by the Homeland Safety Department, the UMaine Composites Center developed a patent-pending shipping container[12] that mitigates safety risks associated with marine cargo. The Georgia Tech Research Institute designed the security system for the container, introducing embedded sensors to detect intrusions, door sensors to monitor access to the container, and a communication system capable of reporting security status from anywhere in the world. This technology is now being tested towards commercialization.

Modular Ballistic Protection System (MBPS)

MBPS, developed in conjunction with the US Navy's Natick Soldier RD&E Center, provides soldiers with enhanced ballistic protection in the field. The patent-pending MBPS[13] is a fast-rising, re-deployable and lightweight ballistic protection system. MBPS provides ballistic protection for personnel and equipment at expeditionary base camps where mobility and rapid deployment are requirements that preclude the immediate use of heavy systems such as sandbags and concrete barriers. MBPS requires no tools to reinforce a 20' x 32' tent and can be deployed in less than 30 minutes by 4 soldiers.

Explosion Resistant Structures

In conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC, the UMaine Composites Center developed blast-resistant structures with wood-covered frame members, panels and subassemblies.[14] These blast resistant materials are economically coated to improve the construction material's ductility and energy dissipation capacity. In addition to superior explosive resistance, the benefits of these structures include: cost efficiencies, ease of assembly, environmental durability, rapid deployment, high strength-to-weight ratio, and protection from moisture absorption, termites, ants, and biodegradation.

In 1996, the center was opened as the Center for Advanced Engineered Wood Composites. In 2012, the organization formally adopted a name change approved by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures. This name change was a reflection of research focuses expanding beyond wood composites to include other areas such as: ocean energy, defense and aerospace composites, civil infrastructure and nanocomposites.

2000 - 2015

On October 13, 2015, Dr. Habib Dagher, Founding Director of the Center for Advanced Composites and Structures at the University of Maine was recognized as the Transportation Change Champion by the White House.[16] Dr. Dagher is the primary inventor of the compound arch bridge system.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gave him the Pankow Award for Innovation, presented to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures for the development of the Maleta Bridges on March 31, 2011.[17].

The American Composites Manufacturing Association awarded the Most Creative Product Award to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures for its Bridge in a Suitcase TM, February 2010.[18].

The American Composites Manufacturing Association awarded the Most Creative Product Award to the Center for Composites and Advanced Structures for its explosive-resistant panels on January 16, 2009.[19]

The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) awarded the People's Choice award for exhibiting the highest degree of design, innovation, creativity and the best use of composite materials to a Modular Ballistic Protection System on October 15, 2007.[20].

The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) awarded the Best in Show award, recognized as the composites industry's highest award for the finest product of the year, to the Modular Ballistic Protection System on October 15, 2007.[21]