Strengthening of Concrete Structures Using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP): Design, Construction and Practical Applications by Hwai-Chung Wu, Christopher D Eamon

This book presents guidelines for the strengthening of concrete structures using
fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. This text briefly covers the basic concepts
of FRP materials and composite mechanics while focusing on practical design
and construction issues, including inspection and quality control. Special attention
is given to the different approaches and recommendations found in a selection of
international FRP design standards. Rather than a theoretical text, this book
attempts to address concerns of the practitioner, and the authors hope that it will be
found valuable in that regard.

If judged by the proliferation of journal articles in recent years, there is considerable
interest in the engineering application of FRP. One of the fastest growing
applications is the use of FRP composite sheets for strengthening deficient concrete
structures, and in particular, bridges. Some of the main driving forces are the ease
of installation and rapid repairs that can be made using FRP sheets in comparison
to conventional rehabilitation techniques using concrete or steel jackets.
Consequently, total project costs can be very competitive, despite the high initial
material cost of FRP. At present, several FRP strengthening design guides from the
United States, Europe, and other locations are available. These guidelines are often
inconsistent and, individually, do not adequately cover all important design, construction,
and inspection issues to a desirable level of detail. Consequently, this
book first provides a review and comparison of the provisions found in a selection
of these existing guidelines, and then suggests design, installation, inspection, quality
control, and maintenance activities for best practice. By doing so, this text aims
to fill a significant gap in the available strengthening guides and might serve as a
resource for engineers, architects, academics, and students interested in FRP materials
and their structural applications.

The authors wish to acknowledge the work of Sasan Siavashi, Abdel Aziz
Makkay, and Abdulkareem Kuaryouti, who spent many hours collecting information
from existing guidelines as well as prepared numerous figures and tables. We
are also grateful to Gwen Jones of Woodhead/Elsevier. Her support and encouragement
has made this book possible. Finally, we wish to thank our wives, Shiow-Hwa
Gau (HCW) and Marie Chris Eamon (CDE). The completion of this text would not
be possible without their love, patience, and understanding.