Spray-in bedliners saving American military lives
Spray-in bedliners? They're not just for pickups anymore. The U.S. military has begun working with Line-X and Rhino Linings to coat entire buildings and vehicles in the durable black stuff - including the Pentagon, bulletproof vests, and Humvees. The companies have found alternative uses for their polyurethane coatings before - Disneyland rides, anti-spill ground cover under oil tanks, and so on... but this is the first time we can recall learning of its use for the military.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the 9/11 attacks brought the military to their doors, as the spray-on goo is capable of "reducing the disintegration of bricks or concrete into deadly flying fragments in a bombing or other attack."
Let's hear it for creative repurposing!
[Sources: Detroit Free Press; Appearance Plus]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mike Foley 10:12AM (6/08/2006)
There was a program on the Military Channel the other night that talked about this and showed the difference between an unsprayed concrete block wall and a sprayed concrete block wall. It worked extremely well. They mentioned on the program that the Pentagon walls are now covered in the stuff.
mike
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Noah 10:53AM (6/08/2006)
That stuff is AMAZING. I saw a demo once where they dropped a cinder block from something like 5 stories up. It just turned to dust, the one coated in the bed liner deformed a little but was still very much a cinder block.
It's also good for the outside of trucks because it resists chipping like paints and fends off rust.
--Noah
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Bob 10:55AM (6/08/2006)
Considering it costs about $400 bucks to have a bed covered, can you imagine what it cost to cover the inside walls of the pentigon with the stuff? I think the Pentigon has more square footage than any building in the world.
Ouch. Your tax dollars at work.
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Takeo 11:12AM (6/08/2006)
This is ingenous repurposing, It's created a vast new market for an American product, and it's protecting people at the same time. I think this has got to be one of the coolest innovations since using silly string to detect trip wires.
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Joe Z 11:24AM (6/08/2006)
I dunno, Bob- there might be a bit of a bulk-rate discount there. But then again, maybe not...
Anyway, I have a Line-X bedliner and can not believe how indestructible it is. I keep waiting for this technology to show up in other places, like decks and sidewalks.
Should be an option for the entire undercarraige of any off-road capable truck or SUV.
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Frank 11:27AM (6/08/2006)
Since the Pentagon is such an obvious terrorist target and since our fellow Americans work there, what's your point Bob? That it's a waste of taxpayer dollars to protect an important building and the (important) people that work there? Please explain.
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GhostDoggy 12:14PM (6/08/2006)
Hey Joe, several of the local Line-X agents around me will come to your home and use it on decks, siding, basement concrete, driveways, etc. as they are getting increasing more wise in the mobile setups.
Personally, I am really impressed with the Line-X liner on my Tundra. I've thrown quite a bit in there from furniture, to lumber, to bricks, lava rock, etc., etc., etc. Its so tough I may need to coat my pecker with it. lol
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Erik 12:15PM (6/08/2006)
The Coast Gaurd has been using this type of coating for a number of years on the decks of its ships. It isn't all that new. I think that it has been reporpused for the truck bed world. http://www.durabak.com/
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John 12:24PM (6/08/2006)
They've talked about this for about 4 years... it's taken them this long to finally get it approved and implemented. That bit with the cinder block that was described earlier aired soon after 9/11 on Discovery channel. I remember this because I went online to see if there was any public holdings of LineX (or it's parent company) that could be purchased.
If anyone's interested, Allied Capital (ALD) and someone else tried to buy out Line-X in 2005... I don't know what the status of that effort.
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G. Snyder 12:33PM (6/08/2006)
Bob - what exactly is a Pentigon?
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Tyre 12:45PM (6/08/2006)
"Considering it costs about $400 bucks to have a bed covered, can you imagine what it cost to cover the inside walls of the pentigon with the stuff? I think the Pentigon has more square footage than any building in the world.
Ouch. Your tax dollars at work."
Finally a program that I don't have a problem contributing my tax dollars to.
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Fazzster 1:42PM (6/08/2006)
Let's conduct an experiment....we will send a group of whining Liberals on patrol in Iraq.... spray them with the stuff and see how well it protects them from an IED.
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Lee 2:58PM (6/08/2006)
"10. Bob - what exactly is a Pentigon?"
Honestly, what is the point of this comment? You knew what he meant. Why be a spelling Nazi on Autoblog?
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Me 3:52PM (6/08/2006)
"Let's conduct an experiment....we will send a group of whining Liberals on patrol in Iraq.... spray them with the stuff and see how well it protects them from an IED."
How about we send *all* the politicians who voted for war but have never seen it?
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Shawn 4:14PM (6/08/2006)
Hey Frazzter -
I got your "whining Liberal" right here -
http://www.democrats.org/page/content/fightingdems/index/
A million times better than a yellow elephant any day. Now, why not use some line-X over your piehole? That stuff is so strong it might actually stop flaming, ignorant rhetoric unfit for Autoblog!
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Shawn 4:48PM (6/08/2006)
#12 - Whining liberals, huh? >> http://www.democrats.org/page/content/fightingdems/index/
I got your whining liberal right here. The sooner we get line-X lined humvees for our troops the better.
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It has a name 8:01PM (6/08/2006)
"disintegration of bricks or concrete into deadly flying fragments in a bombing or other attack" is called spalling.
It also happens when you shoot at a tank,APC or other troop transport (Hummer). There are plenty weapons designed only to break off sharp bits from the inside of a tank and kill the people inside because it's easier than fully penetrating the armor. Plus, if you're lucky, the vehicle remains driveable and you can put your own crew in.
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Jaymez 8:22PM (6/08/2006)
Rhino Liners/Line-X suck ass. I need to have the one on my company issued Colorado redone after less than a year because of all the tears and chips in it. The drop in in my Silverado is much better. I'm glad I didn't pay for it.
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John 9:20PM (6/08/2006)
There is no such thing as commentary unfit for autoblog... I think Clifford the Big Red Dog would agree that nothing falls beyond the scope of the comments left on this site.
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Mick 10:11PM (6/08/2006)
Wonder if I could Line-X my lawn.
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