Opportunities for wood plastic composite products in the U.S. highway construction sector

The aim of this research is to examine the market potential for wood plastic composite (WPC) products in the highway construction sector in place of non-renewable materials (e.g. virgin plastic and steel) and preservative-based products (treated wood). State-level transportation officials indicate t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBioresources Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 1336 - 1352
Main Authors Thompson, Derek W., Hansen, Eric N., Knowles, Chris, Muszynski, Lech
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published North Carolina State University 01.08.2010
Subjects
Highway construction
Mail survey
Plastic
Steel
Sustainable
Wood plastic composites
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Summary:The aim of this research is to examine the market potential for wood plastic composite (WPC) products in the highway construction sector in place of non-renewable materials (e.g. virgin plastic and steel) and preservative-based products (treated wood). State-level transportation officials indicate that the majority of highway construction purchases are conducted by highway construction contractors. Results from a mail survey of highway contractors in eight western U.S. states indicate that a substantial volume of highway construction material may be suitable for substitution with WPCs. Overall, respondents were not familiar with WPC as a material, but compared it favorably with other materials commonly used in the sector. When making purchase decisions, respondents were most concerned with products meeting regulatory specifications, cost, availability, and trust in quality. Attributes related to sustainability, location of manufacture, and content of recycled material were viewed as less important.
ISSN:1930-2126
1930-2126
DOI:10.15376/biores.5.3.1336-1352