Take Risk Out…Put Advantex® Glass In
FRP Canopies Made With Advantex® Glass Protect Steel Pipe
in Hoover Dam’s Penstock Tunnels
A modern marvel of engineering, the Hoover Dam has straddled the border between Nevada and Arizona since its
completion in 1935. Standing an incredible 221 meters high and measuring more than 20 meters thick, it continues its
mission of harnessing the power of the Colorado River. Three years before the dam was completed, penstocks or steel
pipe, 30-feet in diameter, began carrying water from each of the four intake
towers in the reservoir to the power plant and canyon wall outlets. When
the penstocks began exhibiting signs of corrosion after almost 70 years in
service, the solution was FRP (fiberglass-reinforced polymer) canopies
containing Owens Corning’s Advantex® glass.
The penstock tunnels play a vital role in the dam’s function. In the late
1990’s, routine maintenance revealed that condensation from the tunnel
walls surrounding the steel pipe was causing it to corrode. Replacing the
pipe, however, was not an option because of the size and amount of pipe
involved. Bedford Reinforced Plastics, a manufacturer of high-performance
structural fiberglass products located in Pennsylvania provided the solution
in early 2001. Bedford developed canopies made of FRP using Advantex®
glass that were installed over the pipe during the following year.
According to Eric Kidd, Director of Marketing with Bedford, the company’s
solution involved more than 10,000 pounds or 15,000 feet of FRP materials, including square bars and I-beams that
provided a supporting framework for FRP corrugated panels fitted over the steel pipes. “Our FRP, which is 75% lighter
than steel, corrosion resistant, and easily installed with low
maintenance, became the solution to protecting the steel pipe in
a corrosive environment,” said Kidd.
Owens Corning’s Advantex® glass fiber reinforcement is a
patented boron-free glass formulation that is a corrosionresistant E-CR glass fiber reinforcement meeting ASTM
Standard D 578 and demonstrating proven performance in the
field for more than 15 years, according to Matt Lieser, Global
Specification Leader with Owens Corning. “It also offers
increased mechanical properties compared to standard E-glass
and E-CR glasses,” said Lieser. Bedford’s canopies have been
in place for more than a decade and continue to shield the
penstocks from further damage preserving the integrity of the
dam’s historical mission and amazing its 1,000,000 visitors
every year.
Specify Advantex® Glass for all FRP used in Corrosive Environments.
STRESS RUPTURE PERFORMANCE OF COMPOSITE RODS IN TAP AND DEIONIZED WATER
Advantex® glass reinforced composites significantly outperformed the composites reinforced with traditional E-glass in tap
and deionized water. Advantex® glass corrosion-resistance formulation provides more than a 50-fold increase in
performance when comparing time to failure at a given stress level. Proven performance you can count on in the field.
When facing water corrosion,
®
choose Advantex glass.
Take Risk Out…Put Advantex® Glass In.
Owens Corning Customer Contacts:
•
Bedford Reinforced Plastics: www.bedfordreinforced.com, Phone: 800-377-3280 / 814-623-8125
Owens Corning Advantex® Corrosion-Resistant Glass Fiber Reinforcements:
Email: Advantex.americas@owenscorning.com
Advantex.europe@owenscorning.com
Advantex.asiap@owenscorning.com
For more information call:
(614) 777-1384
OWENS CORNING
COMPOSITE MATERIALS, LLC
ONE OWENS CORNING PARKWAY
TOLEDO, OHIO 43659
1.800.GET.PINK™
www.owenscorning.com
www.ocvreinforcements.com
EUROPEAN OWENS CORNING
FIBERGLAS, SPRL
166, CHAUSSÉE DE LA HULPE
B-1170 BRUSSELS
BELGIUM
+32.2.674.82.11
OWENS CORNING COMPOSITE SOLUTIONS BUSINESS
ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS
UNIT 01, 02, 05, 39/F, PUDONG KERRY PARKSIDE,
1155 FANG DIAN ROAD, PUDONG, SHANGHAI
201204, CHINA
+86-21-6101 9666
This information and data contained herein is offered solely as a guide in the selection of a reinforcement. The information contained in this publication
is based on actual laboratory data and field test experience. We believe this information to be reliable, but do not guarantee its applicability to the user’s
process or assume any responsibility or liability arising out of its use or performance. The user agrees to be responsible for thoroughly testing any
application to determine its suitability before committing to production. It is important for the user to determine the properties of its own commercial
compounds when using this or any other reinforcement. Because of numerous factors affecting results, we make no warranty of any kind, express or
implied, including those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Statements in this publication shall not be construed as representations
or warranties or as inducements to infringe any patent or violate any law, safety code, or insurance regulation.
Pub. No10017813. Owens Corning reserves the right to modify this document without prior notice. ©2012 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved.