Corrosion resistant concrete structures with innovative Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials

Development and application of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforcements in concrete structures have been accelerated in the last three decades. Durability of FRP reinforcements is expected to exceed that of conventional steel reinforcements as FRP reinforcements do not tend to corrode. Present paper intends to review experiences on characteristics of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for civil engineering applications and to discuss design considerations by applying FRP bars or tendons embedded in concrete as prestressed or non-prestressed reinforcement. Test results on FRP indicate high tensile strength, high fatigue strength as well as low relaxation and creep. Design recommendations are based on work carried out more than fifteen years ago on first generation reinforcing products. Design guidelines are necessary to enable the use of new materials, they should be made flexible enough to accommodate future developments and facilitate the quick adoption of innovative products. Present paper, therefore, introduces the most recent European research action (COST TU1207) that aims to develop a new generation of design guidelines for FRP materials based on European Standards.