The American Composites Manufacturers Assn. (ACMA, Arlington, Va.) held its first Transportation Infrastructure Lobby Day and Congressional Composites Caucus event in Washington, D.C., on July 15-16, 2009. Intended to educate members of Congress on the importance of composites to U.S. transportation infrastructure improvements and to support language in a new surface transportation bill that will favor the use of innovative materials, the event included industry speakers and table-top exhibits that showed how composites improve sustainability in transportation infrastructure. ACMA members also visited the offices of their representatives and senators. “Composite components such as bridge beams and decks, with their corrosion- and rust-resistance, high strength-to-weight ratios and enhanced service life, offer long-lasting and cost-effective solutions for critical components of transportation systems,” says Monty Felix, ACMA’s president-elect. “Through [this] event, ACMA members promoted legislation that advances the use of composites.”

The Composites Caucus is a growing organization of U.S. representatives and senators who have taken an interest in the composites industry. For more, see ACMA’s Web site: www.acmanet.org.