A Sandwich Plate System unit is formed by injecting a two-part thermosetting liquid elastomer into arncavity formed by two steel faceplates bounded by perimeter bars. The elastomer core bonds to the steel, acts as arnweb and provides continuous support to the faces precluding local plate buckling and the need for closely-spacedrnstiffeners. The flexural stiffness and strength are tailored as required by using appropriate thicknesses for thernsandwich elements. Lightweight panels so formed were first used in maritime construction for ferry decks that carryrnheavy trucks. Cavities were formed with the existing deck, perimeter bars welded to it and new top faceplates.rnDecks have been restored to give many more years of service. The SPS panels are suitable for plate-like structuresrnsuch as bridge decks, stadia risers and floors. Overlays, as for the ship decks, have been developed to rehabilitaternorthotropic fatigue-damaged bridge panels for Thyssen Krupp in Germany. Bridge deck panels 1.2 m wide by 3.0 mrnlong have been developed for the Austrian military to replace stiffened steel panels and prototypes have beenrnsuccessfully tested statically and in fatigue. Used in orthotropic bridges, SPS panels reduce the number andrnmagnitude of fatigue problems markedly while maintaining a lightweight structure. Prototype stadium risers,rnweighing a fraction of comparable reinforced concrete ones have been tested statically and dynamically. Thernelastomer dampens the vibrations inherently. In November 2003, the first steel girder bridge with a composite SPSrndeck was built and successfully tested at Shenley, QC Canada.
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