A Canadian perspective on R&D, design/codes and technical committees

Abstract

Activity in Canada regarding fiber-reinforced-plastics (FRP) for concrete began in earnest in the late 1980's, when the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering created a technical committee on the use of advanced composite materials in bridges and structures. The major accomplishments of the committee were the publishing of two state-of-the-art books on the subject and the organizing of an international conference in 1992, which brought together many of the leading engineers in this field. The efforts of the committee were supported in large part by the Canadian Federal Government, which has a number of programs in place to assist in the development of new technologies in Canada. Most recently, with support from the Canadian Federal Government, a national network on advanced composite materials for bridges and structures was established. Some construction ventures using FRP have begun in Canada, notably two demonstration bridges are being planned, one in the City of Calgary and the other in the Province of Nova Scotia. Although FRP production in Canada is still limited, there are numerous research projects on FRP in concrete structures underway at government laboratories and universities. Finally, the first structural design code in Canada which is considering provisions for FRP in concrete structures is being prepared for publication in 1994.