Archetech Issue 25 2016 | Page 14

ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITES: HERE TO STAY? Renowned experimental architect, Achim Menges, recently said carbon fiber is the architecture market’s biggest untapped resource. He added that carbon fiber in architecture represents a paradigm shift that could create a fourth industrial revolution. Look forward to these CAMX Architectural Presentations: ■ 25 Years of Successful Use of Fiberglass Crossarms in the Electric Utility Industry As architects from around the country discovered at the American Institute of Architects’ 2016 Convention in Philadelphia, a composites revolution may be coming sooner rather than later. During AIA 2016, students from UCLA, Temple University, and Georgia Tech displayed innovative composite designs as a part of the American Composites Manufacturers Association’s (ACMA) firstever Composites in Architecture Design Challenge. UCLA won the challenge with their composite fabrication of “mega-panels,” using robotic technology to fabricate panels without a mold. The second place entry in the challenge, from Temple, drew inspiration from Menges’ recently-unveiled Elytra Filament Pavilion at London’s famous Victoria and Albert Museum. Georgia Tech’s third place entry explored waste-less fabrication with its composite “balloon panels.” If you were not able to attend AIA, you will have the opportunity to see these designs at CAMX at the ACE Pavilion! CAMX – 26-29 September 2016 in Anaheim, California – is your opportunity to pick the brains of many experts in architectural composites. Discounted registration and housing are available for CAMX 2016. Now in its third ■ ACMA Guidelines and Recommended Practices for FiberReinforced-Polymeric (FRP) Architectural Products ■ Best Practices Utilizing FRP and Elastomeric Liners for Various Substrates ■ DUNES Residence: Composites Play Key Role in a Distinctive and Innovative House ■ Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites for Infrastructure Applications ■ Integrated Design and Fabrication Strategies for Fibrous Structures ■ Reinforcements of Concrete – Next Frontier for Composites ■ Opportunities for Composites in Architecture (PANEL) ■ Use of Fire Retardant Resins and Gelcoats in Mass Transit, Architecture, and Building Materials ■ Where Glass Reinforcements Can Help Create Value for Low and High Pressure Pipe Manufacturers year, CAMX, co-produced by the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA)