Mankind’s
curiosity, ingenuity, and needs have driven the research and development of a myriad of
products.Once the basic product has been
‘invented’,the questions are
asked, “How can it be used in other applications?” and “How can it be
produced at a lower cost?”.So it was,
is, and will continue to be with polyurethane foams.
The initial polyurethanes came from the development work of
Otto Bayer in the late 1930’s.Early in
the 1940’s such prestigious companies as I.G. Farben of Germany, ICI of the United
Kingdom and E.I. Dupont of the United States developed urethane systems for such
applications as coatings for the Barrage balloon, synthetic bristles and submarine
insulation/flotation, to name a few.
Further development brought progress in the base products
of urethanes.The new base products greatly
expanded markets for flexible, rigid and energy-absorbing foams.This research has led us first to Poleset then on
to Freon-free Poly-Setand now our newestbackfill system, Poly-Ground.
Forward Enterprises was the pioneer in the use of a rigid
polyurethane foam to set direct-embedment utility structures.The question “Can a rigid polyurethane foam
be used as a foundation for utility structures?” needed to be answered.Through research of products and methods the use
was proven not only possible, but also cost-effective in both the short and long terms.
Numerous companies have investigated the effectiveness of
the use of foam in areas of corrosion-protection and structural integrity for
direct-embedment structures.Forward
Enterprises supplied Poleset to these organizations to carry out their experiments.
During the late 1960’s Forward Enterprises embarked on
a program to market Poleset to the utility industry.The purpose was to prove that through the use of the Poleset method, more
poles could be set in a day and the structural integrity of the Poleset would keep the
pole in place.Forward Enterprises has
continued to improve Poleset with the addition of water-immiscible constituents and the
elimination of fluorocarbons while enhancing the products’ physical characteristics.
The long-term effectiveness of polyurethane foams has been
established not only by Forward Enterprises, but also by E. I. Dupont.Their studies show that partial embedment of
foam-faced panels in soil for ten years “showed negligible deterioration of the foam
and of the attached metal protected by the foam.”
Bayer has numerous case studies of urethane foam applications for
protecting metal structures from chemical attack, both above and below ground level.It also shows that urethane applications
counteract the porosity of masonry structures.
A Homer Research Laboratories report dated 1970 on behalf of
Bethlehem Steel lists development and testing of buried steel structures protected by
rigid polyurethane foams.Bulletins issued by
Bethlehem Steel reveal numerous applications of rigid polyurethane foam in the protection
of underground steel structures for construction, refrigeration and industry.
Forward Enterprises has been setting all types of structures in the
ground, from transmission poles to vertical support members in the Arctic.We have an extensive library on the use of
polyurethane foam for direct-embedment of structures.Also, Forward Enterprises has documentation of the effectiveness of
“Pour-in-Place” for any type of in-ground setting.Our documentation starts with wood poles that have
been set in the ground since 1970, with comprehensive testing done on the poles and the
Poleset.
