A. Seismic upgrading of structures using fibre reinforced polymers.

X. MARTINEZ; S. OLLER; P. MATA; A. BARBAT

Guidelines for seismic vulnerability reduction in the urban environment: LESSLOSS

IUSS Press

Año: 2007; p. 33 - 137

Composites materials are defined as the combining of two or more materials physicallydifferent and mechanically separable, where the blend is made in such a way that thedispersion of one material in the other may be carried out in a controlled fashion toachieve optimum properties, obtaining as a result a new material with higher and possiblyunique properties in some specific aspect, in comparison with the original, separatecomponents.The fibres and matrices of advanced composite materials may be combined by using avariety of manufacturing processes, according to their destination. Thus, the orientationof the fibres, the number and size of filaments and complexity of the fibres are chosenamongst other things.The best use possibly known is in the aerospace industry, although they spread their fieldof application to the automotive, biomedical and sports articles manufacturing industries.Moreover, their mechanical, chemical and physical characteristics have led to their beingused in the construction industry as means for rehabilitating, repairing and strengtheningstructures.The properties of composite materials depend on the type of materials of which they aremade. Reference will be made hereafter to the characteristics of the fibres and resins usedand, then to FRPs. Everything described hereafter will focus on the three types of fibreusually used in civil engineering; carbon fibre, glass fibre and aramid fibre.