CSI Manufacturing Facility Spawns from UC Technology

By Mary Beth Lane

May 7, 2009                                                                                            

In late 2005, Composite Solutions International, LLC (CSI) exclusively licensed UC San Diego’s patented rights for a composite shell system (CSS). With plans to develop the technology in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, the company and their affiliate—Composite Solutions Korea (CSK)—are now scheduled to open a world-class CSS production-plant in Korea in 2009.

Investing over $20 million, the facility will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing site and one of the largest composite structural-component manufacturing facilities in the world. Additional information about this facility is located at www.cskcss.com.


CSI plans to expand their operations further using the CSS technology and other composite materials with an estimated twenty new manufacturing sites in the world market by 2018. Concurrently, CSI is discussing options for UC San Diego’s Department of Structural Engineering to identify new, novel applications for the CSS technology and to acquire U.S market certification.


The composite shell system can be used for bridge piers, pylons, drilled shafts, marine piles, building columns, and other structures. It also can be easily modified for use in other structures, such as wind turbine towers. UC San Diego researchers Gilbert Hegemier and Frieder Seible from the Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering were co-developers for the CSS technology. Speaking on behalf of his research team, Hegemier indicated, “We’re excited to see plans underway for the technology to move towards international commercialization.”


The research for the technology was conducted at UC San Diego’s Charles Lee Powell Structural Research Laboratories and UC San Diego’s Englekirk Structural Engineering Center. These facilities are equipped with the world's first outdoor shake table and blast-simulation test facility and are adjacent to the country's largest soil-structure interaction facility. For information concerning the UC San Diego’s composite engineering programs and test facilities, please visit www.structures.ucsd.edu.