Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites were first developed during the 1940’s, for military and aerospace applications. Considerable advances have been made since then in the use of this material and applications developed in the construction sector. FRPs have been successfully used in many construction applications including load bearing and infill panels, pressure pipes, tank liners, roofs, and complete structures where FRP units are connected together to form the complete system in which the shape provides the rigidity.
In the last decade, FRP composites have found use in a wide range of applications in construction. There are several key reasons why composites are employed:
- Time saving - low weight for fast construction in time tight projects
- Durability - able to survive, especially in harsh environments
- Repair - to allow repair of structures in-situ
- Strengthening - strengthening of structures in-situ
- Tailor-made properties - where especially high performance is needed in one direction
- Appearance - where a particular colour, shape or texture is required
- Blast/fire - where blast or fire resistance is required
- Radio transparent
- Low maintenance - in conditions where difficult access makes maintenance hard
The main areas of application of FRP composites in construction are:
- Architectural
- Bridge
- Cladding
- Column wrapping
- Domes
- Enclosures
- Fencing
- Masts
- Pipes
- Refurbishment / strengthening existing structures
- Roofing
- Seismic retrofitting
- Structures - including modular
- Tanks
- Towers