Why Composites?

Composite piling primer

The unique properties of fiberglass composite pilings make them an ideal building material for a wide variety of applications where superior strength and durability are required. Composite sheet piling and round piles have been successfully used over the past decade in thousands of commercial and private projects with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Navy and numerous state and local municipalities. Why are composites the preferred material for strong, lightweight, environmentally safe waterfront construction? For that matter, what is a composite and how is it made?

Better than the sum of its parts

According to the American Composite Manufacturers Association, a composite is a material made from two or more different materials that, when combined, are stronger than those individual materials by themselves. By this definition composites have existed for thousands of years, from bricks with straw and clay to the precursor to modern plywood.

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites are made from a polymer matrix reinforced with fibers. The matrix provides durability, protecting the fibers and transferring the load. The fibers provide strength and flexibility.

Look below the surface

Wood pilings wrapped in plastic are not composite fiberglass pilings. Wrapping wooden pilings may make a cosmetic difference, but the pilings still lack the structural benefits of composite materials: durability, flexibility and strength.

Cost effective, environmentally friendly Pearson composite pilings outlast wood,  concrete and steel due to their

• Strength-to-weight ratio: strong and lightweight for easy transport and handling 
• Corrosion resistance: never rusts or rots
• Reduced pilings: stronger pilings allow for design flexibility
• Durability: lasts for generations