Applications of FRP composites in civil engineering

Structural applications of composite materials in civil engineering can be sorted into three main categories (Hollaway, 2010)  

The rehabilitation or upgrading of concrete infrastructures by externally bonded FRP composites is a well-established technique developed in the 1990s. It is considered to be an efficient and inexpensive alternative to the replacement of damaged or structurally deficient RC elements. This method covers several specific applications  

For external strengthening applications, the durability of the adhesive bond between the FRP composite and the infrastructure member is a crucial issue, as any degradation of the bond properties may affect severely the effectiveness of the FRP reinforcement (Benzarti et al., 2011). Several guidelines for the design of externally bonded FRP reinforcements have been published worldwide, in particular ACI 440.2R-08 (2008) in the United States, JSCE reconunendations (2001) in Japan, Italian and French guidelines in Europe (CNR, 2004 AFGC, 2011), etc. 

Passive FRP bars are increasingly being used as internal reinforcement for concrete structures (beams, slabs, columns, decks), especially in Canada and in the United States where the weather conditions can be very harsh. 

1 FRP external strengthening of concrete structures (a) flexural strengthening of a concrete beam using carbon FRP laminates  

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