Strengthening of Concrete Structures with Advanced Composite Materials: Prospects and Problems

Abstract

During the past decade, a new challenge in the utilization of advanced composite materials has arisen: the strengthening of structures in civil engineering. The deterioration of old buildings, the need for strengthened structural members because of increased loads, corrosion problems, and the need for rehabilitation of existing structures are some of the applications in which a composite material reinforcement may work better than conventional steel. In some cases, the strengthening of existing structures with fiber-reinforced polymers(FRP) is the only possible way to solve arising technical problems. The mechanics of composite materials is a rather wellestablished subject in engineering, but the application of composites in civil engineering raises many questions (e.g., interaction of an external FRP repair with the damaged structure, safety and durability of reinforced structures, optimization of composite confinement). Therefore, not only special conferences are devoted to these subjects, but traditional conferences on composites also include the challenges of FRP in civil engineering. In Eastern Europe, the most popular conferences on the mechanics of composite materials have been organized in Riga, Latvia, beginning in the 1960s. The foregoing conferences dealt mainly with applications of composites to aeronautical and aerospace structures. However, in the framework of the more recent meetings (with a regularity of every 2 years), special symposia on composite materials in civil engineering have been organized. This special issue of the Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering comprises selected papers presented at the 12th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials, which took place in Riga on June 9‐13, 2002. The opportunities and potential problems of composite reinforcement and its interaction with concrete members were discussed at this conference symposium.