Microsoft Word - 20151026 ASX Announcement- EdenCrete - US Progress -Update- Final
ACN 109 200 900
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
26 October 2015
EDENCRETETM - US UPDATE
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DAY LABORATORY RESULTS from SECOND GDOT FIELD
TRIAL on I-20 show:
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32% IMPROVEMENT in COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH and
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56% REDUCTION in DEPTH OF WEAR from ABRASION
Perth-based Eden Energy Limited (ASX: EDE) is pleased to announce that following earlier encouraging results, the 56 day results from the recent Georgia Department of Transport (GDOT) field trial of EdenCreteTM enriched concrete on the Interstate Highway I-20 in Augusta, Georgia produced a 32% improvement in the compressive strength over the control mix, and a 56% reduction in the depth of wear of the concrete in an accelerated abrasion trial.
This completes the laboratory test work on the concrete used in the field trial and Eden awaits the decision of GDOT, in due course after it has completed its evaluation process, of whether to approve EdenCreteTM for use as an additive in concrete for GDOT infrastructure projects.
Compressive Strength Test at 56 Days
The concrete mix used in all of these tests from the second field trial was made with the addition of a 24-hour chemical accelerant. Accelerants reduce the time required for the concrete to harden, which is important in enabling GDOT to re-open, for public use, earlier than if the accelerant were not added, the section of highway that is being repaired. The independent laboratory that conducted the tests is a GDOT-approved laboratory in Augusta, Georgia
The compressive strength results, which now include the results at 56 days, of EdenCreteTM concrete where the accelerant (calcium chloride) was used, continue the same trend showing that EdenCreteTM concrete exceeded the compressive strength of the control mixture (with the accelerant but without EdenCreteTM) by the following percentages:
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32.8%
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32.5%
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37.1%
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26.3%
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32.0%
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Level 15, 197 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia 6000 Telephone: (08) 9282 5889 Facsimile: (08) 9282 5866
Email: [email protected]
The results, (which, as with the earlier results at 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, and 28 days have been normalised to adjust for the variations between the various delivered batches in the amount of contained air in the concrete, which impacts its compressive strength), confirm a trend of increased compressive strength achieved by the Class 24-Hour Accelerated EdenCreteTM over that of the Class 24-Hour Accelerated Control mixture without added EdenCreteTM as shown on the chart below.
The compressive strength results, charted in Figures 1 and 2 below, confirm this trend.
Figure 1 I-20 GDOT Field Trial- 56 Day Compressive Strength Test Results
Figure 2 I-20 GDOT Field Trial- 56 Day Compressive Strength Test Results
Abrasion Depth of Wear Tests at 56 Days
Separate independent laboratory tests were carried out in Colorado of the comparative rate of the depth of wear that occurred in 56 day old concrete test cylinders, that were also made in Georgia with the identical concrete used in the I-20 field trials. These accelerated abrasion tests, carried out in accordance with ASTM standard C779, showed, a very impressive 56% reduction in the depth of wear in the concrete that had been enriched with EdenCreteTM.
The tests, which are designed to simulate accelerated wear on the surface of the concrete, were conducted over 20 minutes each, and involved two concrete test cylinders from the I-20 trials, one enriched with EdenCreteTM, which were separately pushed up under pressure, into a disc with large steel balls under it, which was rotating at 1,700 revolutions per minute. The depth of wear that occurred every 50 seconds was measured a total of 24 times in the 20-minute test period.
These results are similar to the previous results obtained on the two earlier occasions that Eden has conducted abrasion resistance tests of EdenCreteTM, and Eden considers them to be important in relation to the possible future use of the EdenCreteTM in the concrete used on concrete highways, as the rate of wear on the surface of the concrete due to abrasion is one of the major issues that determines the effective service life of the concrete.
These comparative depths of wear results are shown on Figure 3, with the EdenCreteTM data being shown as 'ARM' in the legend.
Figure 3 I-20 GDOT Field Trial - 56 Day Accelerated Abrasion Wear Test Results
EdenCreteTM I-20 Field Trials
As previously announced (ASX: 27 August 2015), on 26 August 2015 a second field trial of EdenCreteTM enriched concrete was undertaken on Interstate I-20 in Augusta, Georgia and the data detailed above completes the laboratory test results from this field trial.
This field trial involved the pouring of an additional replacement concrete slab on I-20 abutting the first EdenCreteTM enriched slab poured in the first field trial on 11 August 2015. The concrete used in the slab included EdenCrete TM and this was compared with the results from a second slab that was poured using the same concrete mix but with no added EdenCrete TM, giving a basis for comparison of the benefits EdenCreteTM delivers.
Samples of all the concrete from the trial were made on the job-site by an independent, GDOT approved, laboratory, which is conducting the independent comparative compressive strength testing.
The longer-term performance results from both the EdenCreteTM enriched slabs from the field trials and the control slab will be monitored and assessed by GDOT against the results from the laboratory tests.
Whilst neither the timetable of this process nor the outcome is certain, Eden is nevertheless further encouraged by the results that have been produced by the laboratory tests and the improvement in performance that EdenCrete TM has delivered and the potential performance and commercial benefits that the use of EdenCreteTM could deliver to GDOT on its future highway (and other infrastructure) maintenance and construction programmes.
Georgia Infrastructure Market
In addition to thousands of miles of concrete roads and highways, Georgia has in excess of 15,000 concrete bridges (ranging from small to large), a recent audit of which indicated that over 4,000 were not suitable for repair and need to be replaced over the next 20 years, at an estimated annual cost in excess of $300 million per year.
If this process in Georgia results in an approval by GDOT of the use of EdenCreteTM in concrete for its infrastructure being obtained, it is considered likely to accelerate the process of obtaining similar approvals by the Departments of Transport in other US States, with Eden's longer term objective being the opening up of the national infrastructure market.
The directors of Eden consider the I-20 laboratory test results detailed above confirm that significant progress have been made towards Eden eventually achieving its longer-term goal of broad penetration of EdenCreteTM into the huge US infrastructure market.
BACKGROUND
EdenCreteTM is Eden's 100% owned, proprietary carbon-strengthened concrete additive, one of the primary target markets for which is improving the performance of concrete used in the construction and maintenance of concrete roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Additionally, it has potential for use in a range of other applications including high-rise building construction, marine and coastal applications, water storage and pipelines, and pre-fabricated concrete structures and products.
Gregory H. Solomon
Executive Chairman