Chapter 58: Applications of fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials have shown that they are able to provide structurally efficient and competitive alternatives to the more conventional construction materials when utilised for the rehabilitation of concrete, steel, timber and masonry structural members, for bridge deck construction, and for the retrofit of columns in seismic regions. In these applications the attributes of low weight, tailorability performance characteristics based on designed anisotropy, corrosion resistance and lightweight are significant advantages. The most significant growth area currently is in the rehabilitation of structural members using externally bonded composites but there is also immense potential for the development of a combination of FRP composites with the more conventional construction materials. This combination not only builds on the inherent advantages of FRP composites but also provides for optimum integrated usage of FRP composites and (say) concrete in their most efficient modes of tension and compression, respectively. Other materials could be combined with composites to provide a more economical use of both materials This chapter is divided into a number of sections concerned with the applications of advanced polymer composites over the past 35 years of the building industry and the past 20 years of the civil engineering industry. The reasons for using the polymer composite and construction systems in the various examples given are discussed and further reading material is indicated.