Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Strengthening of Steel Structures
Summary
Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have emerged as a versatile and efficient solution for enhancing the performance of steel structures in civil, mechanical and marine engineering. By bonding high-strength fibre laminates to steel members, practitioners achieve significant gains in load capacity, stiffness and fatigue resistance with minimal added weight. The technique addresses common deterioration modes such as corrosion, fatigue cracking and section loss, extending service life and reducing the need for bulky steel plate additions. Key factors governing the effectiveness of FRP-strengthening include fibre type and orientation, number of layers, adhesive properties, surface preparation and environmental exposure. Both static and dynamic loading scenarios have been examined, revealing that prestressed FRP systems and end-anchorage details can delay crack initiation, control crack propagation and suppress debonding. Numerical models—often based on bond-slip formulations—enable prediction of interfacial stresses and remaining life under cyclic loads, while experimental investigations validate design approaches for beams, plates, girders and tubular sections. Innovations such as unbonded prestressed reinforcement and wrapped composite joints extend the applicability of FRP techniques to historic and riveted structures, offering non-intrusive retrofit options compatible with preservation requirements.
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Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Strengthening of Steel Structures publication trend
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Technical terms
Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP): Composite material combining a polymer matrix with high-strength fibres to enhance structural capacity.
Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP): A type of FRP using carbon fibres, valued for its exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance.
Externally Bonded (EB) Strengthening: Method in which FRP laminates are adhesively applied to the exterior surface of steel elements to improve load-bearing performance.
Prestressing: Process of inducing tensile forces in FRP prior to or during installation to increase static strength and delay fatigue damage.
Bond-Slip Model: Analytical framework describing the interfacial stress transfer and debonding behaviour between FRP and steel substrates.
References
- Performance and design of steel structures reinforced with FRP composites: A state-of-the-art review. Engineering Failure Analysis (2022).
- Behavior of cracked steel plates strengthened with adhesively bonded CFRP laminates under fatigue Loading: Experimental and analytical study. Composite Structures (2021).
- Prestressed Unbonded Reinforcement System with Multiple CFRP Plates for Fatigue Strengthening of Steel Members †. Polymers (2018).
- A Retrofit Theory to Prevent Fatigue Crack Initiation in Aging Riveted Bridges Using Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Materials. Polymers (2016).
- Bonded CFRP/Steel Systems, Remedies of Bond Degradation and Behaviour of CFRP Repaired Steel: An Overview. Polymers (2021).
- Failure modes of bonded wrapped composite joints for steel circular hollow sections in ultimate load experiments. Engineering Structures (2022).
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