tionship between EDS and Responsible Agricultural Product & Information Distribution (RAPID). RAPID is a Wilmington, Del-based corporation formed in July 1995 by U.S. agricultural chemical manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Its mission is to "foster standardized electronic information access and commerce capabilities in the U.S. chemical industry." RAPID has signed a six-year contract with EDS to design, develop, and manage a nationwide network providing and linking product, regulatory, and other information. Subscribers got full access to the network in June. Aalbregtse believes other examples will emerge, and the chemical industry may already be taking steps in this direction. "I think we'll see centers mnning business processes for multiple chemical companies," he says. "They'll be able do that because of some of the similarities within the industry and in some cases the willingness of companies to [combine] some [nonconfidential] activities." One such area gaining emphasis is maintenance planning and the huge requirements that chemical firms have for spare parts, says Curtis. In industrial areas, a single supplier can maintain adequate inventory and deliver supplies to many plants without coming close to the duplication that would exist if each plant had its own storeroom. For many years, DuPont has had an outside company manage its storerooms for maintenance, repair, and operating supplies. "As companies look more at the cost of capital that is tied up in their business, they are seeing value in doing this," says Curtis. "The mind-set is changing that if someone else can do something and it frees up a huge pile of money that's been sitting in spare parts, then it's worth something. So they may perhaps be willing to pay a little more on an ongoing basis for the service, because it frees up money that can be redeployed elsewhere." Consultants envision the most effective outsourcing solutions for chemical companies may be industry specific. "Vendors must understand the industry and [its] operations to the largest extent possible," says Meyers, and address business processes that are unique to or customized for the chemical industry. He expects this might include incorporating chemical industry customers' expertise, even its labor force, in outsourcing offerings or joint ventures. "Vendors who can differentiate their services based upon this knowledge will gain a natural advantage and be able to add more value. " ^
Composite producers work on bridging the gap traffic. To accomplish this goal, the university tested assemblies made from vinyl ester and fiberglass. Although material costs may be high compared with traditional concrete construction, the use of prefabricated assemblies and expectations for low maintenance cost and long life may give an edge to composite bridge manufacturers. With the testing over, two projects are under way to build the bridges and put them to everyday use. According to Steve Kopf, vice president of Hardcore DuPont Composites, New Castle, Del., a joint venture of DuPont and Hardcore Composites, also of New Castle, $5.9 million will go to the construction of the 168-foot-long overpass bridge as part of a network of roads mainCourtesy of University of California, San Diego tained by the Delaware River & Bay Authority. The money for the Delaware bridge comes j^^^^^^^pl from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Army launcher could carry two composite bridges. Agency (DARPA) and industry partners including Composites—mostly polyester and fi- bridge designer J. Muller International, Duberglass—are widely used in construc- Pont, Hardcore DuPont, and the Universition products including shower stalls, ty of Delaware. A project to build two milbathtubs, whirlpools, building panels, itary bridges for Army testing gets $7 miland skylights. Applications such as these lion from DARPA and an industry made up the roughly 665 million lb of consortium that includes Hardcore DuNorth American demand in 1995 for fi- Pont, the University of Delaware, and subber-reinforced plastics, according to contractor Amoco Performance Products. Urs Meier, director of the Swiss FederCleveland-based business research company Freedonia Group. But more critical al Laboratories for Materials Testing & use in infrastructure construction projects Research, located near Zurich, says his is an "opportunity area," according to a agency recently developed and supportFreedonia report, "Reinforced Plastics in ed the installation of two carbon-fiber and epoxy cables for a 410-foot-long caNorth America." The University of California, San Di- ble-supported bridge to carry traffic over ego, recently completed testing of bridge railroad lines below. The 22 other cables components for a mobile 50-foot-long of the Storchenbruke bridge in the city composite bridge to allow Army tanks to of Winterthur near Zurich will be conget past natural ravines, antitank ditches, ventional steel. Meier says the Swiss and minefields. The bridge would weigh agency plans to test the durability and fa9,000 lb—40% less than a comparable tigue characteristics of the carbon-fiber metal bridge. Thus, a tank launcher cables compared with the steel cables. could carry two bridges instead of one. The work under way now on bridge Treadway sections would consist of development "may set the stage for a carbon fiber and epoxy composites, new breed of civil and military bridges," while exit and entrance ramps would be notes John B. Kosmatka, a composite made of aluminum. structural designer and analyst and assoAt the same time, the university tested ciate professor of applied mechanics and components for a 168-foot-long three- engineering sciences at the University of lane highway overpass bridge. Compos- California, San Diego. But only time will ite manufacturers want to build a prefab- tell if advanced composite bridges can ricated bridge to replace a deteriorated play to tough civil and military engineerstructure that they could rapidly assem- ing demands. ble with minimal disruption to normal Marc Reisch Advanced composite manufacturers and users continue to make progress in developing blends of fibers and polymers for civil and military engineering structures. They are now moving into advanced testing of composites for bridges and other critical infrastructure components. Manufacturers of advanced composites such as carbon fiber and epoxy resins, or glass fiber and vinyl-ester resins, will soon build a lightweight tank bridge for Army testing and an overpass bridge for a U.S. interstate highway. In Europe, testing is under way on the use of cables made out of carbon fiber and epoxy in place of steel wire in a cable-supported bridge in Switzerland.
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