FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Cutting-edge steelmaker MMFX takes another significant
stride in carving a share of multi-trillion dollar road and
bridge industry.
IRVINE, Calif. -- MMFX Steel Corp., whose patents for creating
supremely corrosion-resistant steel without sacrificing strength
have enabled it to mount a major challenge in the multi-trillion-dollar
road and bridge industry, has earned a key approval for use
of its materials in construction.
The International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO),
which developed the first Uniform Building Code in 1927 and
has since become the primary overseer of construction safety
in the United States and much of the world, has certified
MMFX Microcomposite (MMFX 2) rebar as safe for use in general
construction. Rebar is steel reinforcing used to extend the
life of concrete structures in corrosive environments.
The ICBO's testing verified that MMFX 2 meets or exceeds the
strength requirements for A615 grade 75 rebar, which is the
highest-strength reinforcing steel used in general construction
today.
MMFX 2 has also been awarded compliance with the 1997 Uniform
Building Code, the
2000 International Building Code, the 1999 National Building
Code and the 1999 Standard Building Code. In April 2002, the
Civil Engineering Research Foundation and the International
Institute for Energy Conservation awarded MMFX the prestigious
2002 Charles Pankow Award for Innovation for MMFX 2 rebar.
gWith these major certifications and the credibility they
create for MMFX 2 rebar, the company is poised to launch a
major marketing campaign and inventory buildup,h said David
Pollack, president of MMFX Technologies Corporation.
The market for MMFX steel, designed at the atomic, or nano,
level to combat the corrosion susceptibility characteristic
of the steel that dominates the industry, is potentially enormous.
Based on Federal Highway Administration reports, the nationfs
road and bridge infrastructure has deteriorated to the point
that the minimum cost of replacing or making those structures
safe again is estimated at $1.3 trillion.
It is also estimated that the United States spends approximately
$276 billion annually on costs directly related to rebar corrosion
in its roads and bridges. Fifteen percent of the nationfs
bridges are believed to be structurally deficient.
This is where MMFX steel comes in. The new and revamped roads
and bridges can be built in the old way, with rebar that begins
to fail from the minute it is installed, or the nation can
go down a different road ? to MMFX 2, whose science-based
properties enable it to withstand environmental corrosion
for decades longer.
MMFX steel has already been a component of more than 30 bridge
projects across the country, and has been approved for use
in replacement of the earthquake-damaged Bay Bridge in Oakland.
In addition, MMFX steel has been used in paving projects by
the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and in a high-rise
condo project in Miami.
MMFX's proprietary technology was conceived at the University
of California, Berkeley, under the guidance of world-renowned
scientist and inventor Professor Gareth Thomas. Dr. Thomas
founded the National Center for Electron Microscopy at Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory. In this laboratory and with
millions of dollars in funding from the Department of Energy,
Dr. Thomas was able to make fundamental advances in steel
technology.
Dr. Thomas helped pioneer the use and applications of the
electron microscope and is one of the world's leading experts
in metallurgy and materials sciences. Dr. Thomas is a professor
of materials science at UC Berkeley and has been published
more than 500 times. He is a member of both the National Academy
of Science and the National Academy of Engineers. Dr. Thomas
has also been a recipient of the American Society for Metalsf
International Gold Medal for his contribution in the field
of metals.
About MMFX Technologies
MMFX Technologies Corp., headquartered in Irvine, Calif.,
was formed in June 1998 to commercialize the technologies
that grew out of the Berkeley research. MMFX has two operating
subsidiaries -- MMFX Steel Corp. of America, based in Charlotte,
N.C., and Fasteel, based in Anaheim, Calif. For additional
technical information on MMFX Steel, visit
www.mmfxsteel.com
or
www.mmfx.com.
For more information, contact