B&B Design Associates Inc. is a full service firm that provides innovative industrial design in the development  of future consumer and industrial durable goods. Design is a creative activity whose aim is to establish the multi-faceted qualities of objects, processes, services and their systems in whole life-cycles.

Industrial Use Scaffolding Planks
New Technology/ Sustainable Natural Resource Application

The client BRAND ENERGY-INFRASTRUCTURE & ALUMA SYSTEMS (providers of the largest industrial scaffolding services in North America) purchase every year a huge amount of natural and laminated lumber for planking use. The natural wood product is susceptible to damage, moisture, chemical and fire hazards and is very expensive. Wood is considered a non-renewable natural resource.

The design challenge was to find a full life-cycle alternative material to wood. Motivated by “Cradle to cradle” principal and assisted by a Canadian company, PURCHEM SYSTEMS, INC specialized in polyurethane-epoxy composites and a proprietary “Reaction Compression Molding” TM process the designers have found a solution.

The design solution was a versatile natural fiber bio-composite plank/product. It is 90% natural fiber per volume the rest is urethane-epoxy resin and micro sized, hollow glass spheres. It does not off-gas, heat, moisture, chemicals, UV stable and lighter than wood. It can be molded in a wide range of shapes, colors and finishes. It can be nailed or cut with hand tools. The planks have a lot longer lifespan over wood and when life cycle is finished the plank material can be re-ground to be filler for next generation of planks.