Custom composite resins are used in the industrial power generation industry all the time. We’re used to producing composites like vinyl ester resin using a vacuum infusion process in our daily operations, but we usually don’t see this sort of technical detail in our “normal” lives.
That’s why the decision of Masayuki Sono, architect, to use a vinyl ester resin formed by the vacuum infusion process is so surprising.
In order to make a 35 foot tall 9/11 memorial called “Postcards”, Sono cantilevered two composite wings made of vinyl ester resin. The monument is meant to evoke the Twin Towers while framing a view of lower Manhattan from Staten Island. Even though the installation is very artistic and inspirational, its creation is very technical:
After conducting a structural analysis, the engineers in charge of the project specified a composite laminate of E-glass, foam core, and vinyl ester resin. Once testing was conducted, Reichhold, Inc.’s Hydrex® 100-HF, low-styrene, 100% vinyl ester resin was selected, and NEB began building the structure using a vacuum infusion technique. The resin is designed specifically for the vacuum infusion process.
By using composites, Sono was able to realize a 30% cost saving and 90% weight saving compared to using concrete. “Postcards” is just another example of custom composites making our lives a little bit better.
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