FRP COMPOSITES FOR REINFORCED AND PRESTRESSED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

As infrastructures age worldwide, and demolition and replacement becomes less of an option, the need for repair and retrofit of existing facilities will increase. High strength fiber composites (FRPs) have been used with civil structures since the 1980s, mostly in the repair, strengthening, and retrofitting of concrete structures. This has attracted considerable research, and the industry which has grown up has expanded exponentially in the last decade. As a result, design guidelines have been developed by professional organizations in a number of countries including the USA, Japan, Europe, and China. But until now designers have had no publication which provides practical guidance or accessible coverage of the fundamentals.