Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) or Carbon FRP offer economical and efficient solutions for strengthening concrete beams for flexure and shear. The technique works for strengthening concrete, steel, timber and glulam beams.
Thin sheets of FRP with a thickness of approximately 0.05 inch (1.3 mm) can be applied similar to wallpaper to strengthen the beam. These materials cure within a day and reach a tensile strength three times that of steel. QuakeWrap engineers will determine the number and orientation of fibers in each layer of the FRP fabric and will provide sealed engineering drawings for such repairs.
Among the advantages of GFRP and CFRP are:
Among the advantages of GFRP and CFRP are:
- Increases flexural strength for both positive and negative moment regions
- Increases shear strength
- Increases stiffness at service loads
- Reduces crack widths for enhanced durability and corrosion resistance
- Delays future corrosion rate by reducing moisture penetration into beams
- No reduction in overhead clearance (e.g. in parking garages)
- Lower cost than conventional methods