Pioneering
Recycled Plastic Lumber Bridges
A pioneer in the development of recycled plastic lumber bridges, KCI, formerly McLaren Engineering Group, has advanced and tested thermoplastic composite designs for decades. These eco-friendly alternatives provide practical solutions for marine and shoreline construction, helping mitigate the natural deterioration caused by marine microbes.
In 2000, McLaren founder Malcolm McLaren, PE, introduced the world’s first recycled plastic bridge. The bowstring truss short-span suspension bridge near Albany, New York, was designed to withstand a 31,000-pound load capacity.
Innovation continued in 2009, when the team designed an I-beam bridge for use at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It surpassed testing by supporting a 70-ton, fully equipped M-1 Army tank and demonstrated a wheeled vehicle limit of 88 tons. The patented mixture of recycled composite elements reduced the amount of material needed in each beam without compromising structural integrity.
New Baltimore, NY
