Repairing and Strengthening Masonry Walls with FRP Northampton MA

Source: MASONRY CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
Publication date: May 1, 2007

By Mo Ehsani

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) products are very strong in tension and can be bonded to the exterior surface of masonry. These materials have been used in other industries such as aerospace and ship-building, for decades,but their application in civil engineering began in the mid-1990s.

In the field, rolls of fabric constructed with carbon or glass fibers are saturated with a special epoxy resin and then bonded to the exterior surface of the wall (much like wallpaper). The material cures quickly and reaches strengths twice that of steel in 24 hours. The design of the fabric can be customized,such as including fibers running in both directions that would simulate horizontal and vertical steel reinforcement in conventional wall construction.

Numerous tests conducted at the University of Arizona through research funded by the National Science Foundation have demonstrated the effectiveness of this system for the retrofit of existing structures. Once applied, FRP can be painted or coated with stucco.

The resins are non-toxic and odorless, making the system ideal for work in occupied buildings. FRP also serves as a waterproofing membrane, and a variation of this system is being used in the mining industry for lining of tanks that contain acids.

Workers are applying FRP to strengthen a hollow-clay tile wall.

The fabrics are flexible and conform to the geometry of the substrate wal...

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