Infrastructure applications of fibre-reinforced polymer composites

The deterioration of civil infrastructure constructed with steel and concrete is a huge global challenge and has led to massive rehabilitation and maintenance costs worldwide. To address the deterioration problem, extensive research has been conducted in the past three decades on the use of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as a durable structural material. In infrastructure, the use of FRP composites was initially explored in the strengthening of existing structures, and more recently in the construction of high-performance new structures. In the area of strengthening, external bonding of FRP composites is now a mainstream technology. In the area of new construction, many innovative structural forms enabled by FRP composites have been explored and some of them have been used in practice. Because of their excellent corrosion resistance, the use of FRP composites in infrastructure development is particularly important for Hong Kong due to the coastal environment here which makes corrosion of steel a big problem. This talk will present the recent advances in this area in both research and practice, including some ongoing projects at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.