Mechanical Concrete

Mechanical Concrete is a building material that uses stronger materials and is an advancement in geocellular confinement systems, which were pioneered by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers beginning in 1975.

Geo-cylinder confinement is made by using a cylindrical segment to mechanically confine crushed stone, soils, or other aggregate materials, creating a cellular, load-supporting unit. Arranged in horizontal or vertical configurations, collections of the units may be used for load support to form roadway bases and foundations; for earth-retention to build bearing and retaining walls, dams, and other wall structures; and for slope and channel protection to resist storm water erosion and protect stream banks.

This technology was invented in 2004 by Samuel G. Bonasso, a professional civil engineer, a former secretary of the West Virginia Department of Transportation and former deputy administrator of the Research and Special Programs Administration and of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Research, laboratory testing and field demonstration beginning in the spring of 2005 led to its acceptance in October 2008 for roadway construction in the state of West Virginia by the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Mechanical Concrete a patent in 2008 and the technology has since been licensed by Bonasso’s Reinforced Aggregates Co. of Morgantown, W.Va. By mid-2011, the technology had seen success in West Virginia, was in use in road construction in commercial and public sector applications in four other states — Arizona, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — and had been presented to international audiences.

Early manufacturing licensees include Tireland, Inc. of Morgantown, W.Va. and Wyatt's Tire Removal of Wooster, Ohio; early construction projects licensees include Laurita, Inc., of Morgantown, W.Va., GAL Construction, Inc. of Belle Vernon, Pa., and Sundt Construction, Inc. of Tempe, Ariz.

A patent application is pending in Canada.

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