6 - Emerging advancement of fiber-reinforced polymer composites in structural applications

Abstract

There is rising concern about the global deterioration of traditional materials such as concrete, steel, and timber. Recently, attention has shifted to the use of fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) as alternative materials. As FRPs are noncorrosive, and have high specific strength and modulus values compared to their density, their light weight, tailored design, acceptable deformability, and excellent formability enable the fabrication of new elements and the structural rehabilitation of existing parts made from traditional materials. FRPs therefore have wide application prospects in civil engineering, ranging from reinforcing rods, rebar and tendons, FRP manholes, storage tanks, sewage and drip irrigation pipelines, wraps for seismic retrofit of columns and externally bonded reinforcement for strengthening of walls, tunnel segments, beams, slabs, bridge decks, portable FRP security cabins, and internal reinforcement for concrete, and in roadways, highway guide rails, FRP dowels, and signs boards. FRPs in railway infrastructure are one of the important segments including their use in the interior and exterior of railway coaches, FRP sleepers, railway girder bridges, doors, modular toilets, and FRP blind plates. FRP utility poles are the future of construction in transmission lines due to their outstanding corrosion resistance and lightweight properties. When the term renewable energy comes to mind, then FRP wind turbine blades and poles become apparent. Furthermore, the resistance of FRP materials to corrosion means that they can be used to replace steel and reinforced concrete in situations when they would be exposed to corrosion. Incorporation of nanofillers exhibits great mechanical properties along with extremely high aspect ratios (length-to-diameter ratio), they are expected to produce significantly stronger and tougher cement composites than traditional reinforcing materials (e.g., glass fibers or carbon fibers). This chapter reviews the application of FRPs in civil engineering.