Research on the fiber reinforced polymer in new construction and in strengthening of steel structures

Abstract

Due to their distinct advantages, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites gained popularity during the past 200 years in civil engineering area, including high durability, corrosion resistance, light weight, high modulus strength, and high quality of corrosion resistance. These ranges of features led FRP composites find their application in mechanical, structure, civil engineering, and other industries areas. Traditional construction materials such as steel cannot feed the desirable expectation, and these high-tech materials are becoming more and more popular to replace the traditional materials. By analyzing experiments conducted by other scholars, the following essay will provide a critical review of FRP’s use in strengthening steel structures, not only for its advantages but also for its disadvantages and material properties. After the research, more experiments and theoretical research should be done to let FRP strengthen-materials be accepted and widely used in industries, as FRP materials still have some drawbacks.