Use of FRP composites in civil structural applications

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites or advanced composite materials are very attractive for use in civil engineering applications due to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance, light weight and potentially high durability. Their application is of most importance in the renewal of constructed facilities infrastructure such as buildings, bridges, pipelines, etc. Recently, their use has increased in the rehabilitation of concrete structures, mainly due to their tailorable performance characteristics, ease of application and low life cycle costs. These characteristics and the success of structural rehabilitation measures have led to the development of new lightweight structural concepts utilizing all FRP systems or new FRP/concrete composite systems. This paper presents an overview of the research and development of applications of advanced composites to civil infrastructure renewal at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.