Chapter 14 - Polyurea in construction and building applications

Abstract

Polymer materials are identified as one of the fastest-growing areas in construction and building materials in the past decades. Among various polymers, the use of polyurea and its variants as an effective material for structural and nonstructural applications is considered as a sustainable approach in the construction and building industries. They have been widely used for repair, lining, strengthening, rehabilitation, and protective applications of civil engineering infrastructure. A wide variety of polyurea products have been used for such applications, and coatings, elastomers, fibers, adhesives, and sealants are among the widely use product variation. Their superior mechanical properties, ease of synthesis with minimal techniques, and self-supporting bond characteristics that can be applied on a wide range of substrates, are the properties which make them feasible in construction and building applications. This chapter addresses the state of the art of polyurea, and its utilization in construction and building applications comprehensively, in terms of durable and protective coatings, adhesives and sealants, composite applications, and in structural strengthening and retrofitting with polyurea and their modified products.