Dagher highlights advancements in sustainable, durable infrastructure to Governor Mills during AIT Bridges visit

June 3, 2022 Civil Infrastructure Durability, Recent News

Dagher highlights advancements in sustainable, durable infrastructure to Governor Mills during AIT Bridges visit

Dagher highlights advancements in sustainable, durable infrastructure to Governor Mills during AIT Bridges visit

Governor Janet Mills spent time at two Advanced Structures and Composite Center spinoff companies during her recent visit to Penobscot County.

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June, 3, 2022

Orono, Maine – Dr. Habib Dagher, executive director of the ASCC and TIDC, participated in a tour of AIT Bridges and Compotech, Inc., both spun out of ASCC, with Governor Mills during her recent visit to Penobscot County.

“Governor Mills today also visited AIT Bridges, an engineering and manufacturing company that supplies advanced composite materials developed by the University of Maine for bridges while providing sustainable, low-cost solutions to the aging and deteriorating transportation infrastructure industry. The MaineDOT has utilized AIT’s innovative technology on the Grist Mill Bridge in Hampden, which has been completed, and the Twin Bridge in Hampden, which is currently under construction.

The Governor also visited Compotech, Inc., a leader in the design, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of composite blast and ballistic resistant structures for defense industries,”

Full Statement


Infrastructure durability and advanced composite materials remain key ASCC research areas. The patented GBeam technology was first developed at ASCC and is licensed to AIT Bridges, the university’s commercialization partner for this technology. The manufacturing process was refined by researchers at TIDC resulting in the successful implementation of the tub girder design in the Grist Mill Bridge in Hampden, ME. 

As a result of its first installation, TIDC researchers have collaborated with AIT Bridges to create the next generation of G-Beam, the double t girder. This new design allows for the replacement and design of bridges with a shorter clearance and simplifies the manufacturing process. The first installation of the double t G-Beam is planned for the fall of 2022 in Hampden, Maine.

The GBeam technology is corrosion-resistant and designed to last over 100 years with little to no maintenance. The composite tub girders are lightweight, weighing as little as one-quarter the weight of steel girders.  From the environmentally conscious materials and low maintenance during a longer life cycle expectancy, to the faster and less disruptive installations, this technology is a promising, sustainable, low-cost alternative to steel and concrete.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ERDC and the U.S. Department of Transportation provided funding for the research through the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center.

The TIDC is a consortium of six New England universities, led by UMaine, and is the 2018 Department of Transportation Region 1 University Transportation Center located in the ASCC. The mission of the TIDC is concentrated on developing innovative and sustainable solutions to the transportation infrastructure problems in New England and nationwide. 

Contact: Taylor Ward, taylor.ward@maine.edu