Séminaire LMC2 (présentiel - La Doua) : Durability of fiber-reinforced composites in construction: challenges and perspectives

Prof. Ing. Francesco Micelli
Università del Salento

Résumé au format pdf

The seminar will provide an overview of the issues related to the long-term behaviour of composite materials and composite-strengthened structures in civil engineering.
Since a couple of decades Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been used as externally bonded reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures. This opened important problems related to durability and safety in the long term. Potential degradation related to the changes in the substrate, reinforcement materials and interfaces under harsh environments needs to be translated into design provisions. This is the main challenge.
Moreover, in the last decade, the strengthening strategies for heritage masonry structures were not focused on the use of FRPs, due to their limits in the field. In this perspective, a new generation of inorganic-matrix fiber-reinforced composites has been studied and utilized. In this regard, the knowledge gap related to durability in aggressive environments is larger than for FRPs in concrete structures. Thus, a strong research effort is needed in this topic.
The seminar will illustrate and discuss a set of research results in the field of durability of FRP-strengthened concrete beams and columns and TRM/CRM (Textile Reinforced Matrix/Composite Reinforced Mortar) materials used as external reinforcement in masonry construction.