Aug 4 2006
Material Technologies will feature its patented metal fatigue detection solutions at the International Conference on Fatigue and Fracture in the Infrastructure next week. This conference is designed to bring together the world's experts in the mechanics, detection, and remediation of metal fatigue damage to bridges and other transportation structures. MATECH will present technical discussions on the benefits of using its patented Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor(TM) (EFS) to detect and monitor microscopic growing cracks in bridge infrastructure.
The International Conference on Fatigue and Fracture in the Infrastructure -- Bridges and Structures of the 21st Century is expected to draw transportation agencies including state Departments of Transportation, bridge owners and engineers, inspection engineers, researchers and technology suppliers. It will provide a forum to discuss the fatigue and fracture issues facing the transportation industry and evaluate the latest advancements, applications, research and solutions.
The conference is sponsored by Lehigh University's renowned Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Center and co-sponsored by organizations including the Federal Highway Administration, Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance, National Science Foundation, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Transportation Research Board.
"Lehigh University's ATLSS Center is one of the most respected fatigue and fracture research organizations in the country and we are pleased to participate in this groundbreaking conference," said MATECH CEO Robert M. Bernstein. "MATECH is ramping marketing efforts to communicate the technical and economic advantages of our highly accurate metal fatigue detection technology to the bridge industry. This event provides an opportunity to showcase our capabilities and forge relationships with decision makers seeking solutions to ensure safety, reduce maintenance costs and prioritize repairs of highway, railroad and mass transit bridge structures."
According to the Federal Highway Administration more than half of the steel bridges in the US are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Maintaining and improving the nation's aging bridge infrastructure system is a priority for transportation authorities. The $286 billion Federal Transportation Bill has allocated millions of dollars to help states evaluate non-destructive methods like MATECH's EFS to test growing fatigue cracks in steel bridges. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, enacted August 10, 2005) provides for increased transportation infrastructure investment and strengthened transportation safety programs.
The US DOT's Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Request continues the funding for bridge safety. $65.6 billion in budgetary resources has been requested to support major investments in transportation nationwide including $4.2 billion for bridge replacement, rehabilitation and preventive maintenance. About Material Technologies, Inc. (MTNA.OB)
MATECH is an engineering, research and development company specializing in technologies to measure microscopic fractures and flaws in metal structures and monitor metal fatigue in real time. The company's leading edge metal fatigue detection, measurement and monitoring solutions can accurately test the integrity of metal structures and equipment including bridges, railroads, airplanes, ships, cranes, power plants, mining equipment, piping systems and heavy iron.
MATECH owns the only nondestructive testing technology able to find growing cracks as minute as 0.01 inches-critical information that allows structural engineers to isolate and repair the more than 100,000 steel bridges in the US which have been classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete by the Federal Highway Administration. MATECH has exclusive rights to seven patents along with $8.3 million in already completed contracts from the US Government for research, testing and validation of its innovative solutions.
http://www.matechcorp.com