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Stay-strong jeans last longer
DSM, the Netherlands, joined forces with Levi Strauss & Co., San Fran-
cisco, to create jeans with a blend of strength, durability, and style. Dyneema,
an Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene (UHMWPE) fiber, can be
found in Levi’s 501 Warrior and Trooper style jeans. Its use brings a 25% per-
formance improvement in abrasion resistance and strength over traditional
jeans of the same weight. Unlike other high-strength fibers, Dyneema is soft
and supple, so jeans retain their comfort and fit, say company sources. In ad-
dition, both Levi and DSM say they are committed to reducing their carbon
footprint by creating sturdy, long-lasting products. .
Electric car is 3D printed
The two-passenger Urbee (urban electric with ethanol as backup) is de-
signed to use the least energy possible, getting more than 200 mpg on the
highway and 100 mpg in the city. And now, it is the first prototype car ever to have its entire body printed using an ad-
ditive process. Jim Kor, president and senior designer of Kor Eco-
Logic, wanted to make Urbee aerodynamic and as “green” as possible
throughout the design and manufacturing processes.
Together with Stratasys, Eden Prairie, Minn., the team selected
ABS as the material of choice and began to build the car. The full-
scale door and side panels were completed first. “These were big
panels,” says Kor. “The parts fit together perfectly.” The remaining
body panels are currently being built by Stratasys. “Just to make the
first car was quite an achievement,” notes Kor. “With our second pro-
totype, we will design to the Stratasys printer capabilities. We want
to exploit the full capacity of the machines.” That means designing
both the interior and exterior. It also means using plastic only where
it is needed. , .
Recycled plastic pins fortify highway slopes
A University of Texas at Arlington civil engineering researcher
won a $1 million state transportation department (TxDOT)
contract to install pins made from reclaimed and recycled
plastic along some of the region’s busiest highways to shore
up clay soils that support the roads. Sahadat Hossain, an
associate professor of civil engineering, demonstrated the
technique as a cost effective and efficient solution to failing
soil slopes as part of the project during the last few years.
The study indicates that the cost of slope stabilization and
repair can be reduced by more than 50% when using these
recycled plastic pins compared to conventional methods.
The pins are roughly 4 in. wide by 4 in. deep and
8-12 ft in length. An assistant professor and expert in analyz-
ing material cracks and fractures collaborated on the proj-
ect and developed a numerical model to help TxDOT field
staff determine where to place the pins to ensure soil stabil-
ity. The reinforced sections along U.S. Route 287 have held
up much better than the untreated areas along that road, re-
searchers found. Hossain and his team are also working on
sustainable pavement base and sub-base materials as part of
this project. For more information: Sahadat Hossain,
817/272-3577, , .
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • FEBRUARY 2014 5
interest
of material
The two-passenger Urbee is the first prototype car ever to have
its entire body printed using an additive process.
Dyneema, an UHMWPE fiber, is being
used in Levi’s 501 Warrior and Trooper
style jeans to increase durability.
Sadik Khan, Sahadat Hossain’s doctoral student, views a
failing slope along U.S. Route 287.