Statistics for Spatial Data.

A concise state-of-the-art survey of fiber-reinforced polymer (also known as fiber-reinforced plastic) composites for construction applications in civil engineering is presented. The paper is organized into separate sections on structural shapes, bridge decks, internal reinforcements, externally bonded reinforcements, and standards and codes. Each section includes a historical review, the current state of the art, and future challenges.

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites for Construction—State-of-the-Art Review

Externally bonded FRP reinforcement for RC structures

A recent increase in the use of ecofriendly, natural fibers as reinforcement for the fabrication of lightweight, low cost polymer composites can be seen globally. One such material of interest currently being extensively used is basalt fiber, which is cost-effective and offers exceptional properties over glass fibers. The prominent advantages of these composites include high specific mechano-physico-chemical properties, biodegradability, and non-abrasive qualities to name a few. This article presents a short review on basalt fibers used as a reinforcement material for composites and discusses them as an alternative to the use of glass fibers. The paper also discusses the basics of basalt chemistry and its classification. Apart from this, an attempt to showcase the increasing trend in research publications and activity in the area of basalt fibers is also covered. Further sections discuss the improvement in mechanical, thermal and chemical resistant properties achieved for applications in specific industries.

A short review on basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites

Design of concrete members strengthened with externally bonded FRP reinforcement

Bond durability of BFRP bars embedded in concrete under seawater conditions and the long-term bond strength prediction

Structural behaviour and design of concrete members strengthened with externally bonded FRP reinforcement

Revealing the temperature history in concrete after fire exposure by microscopic analysis

A microwave nondestructive testing technique to measure the steel fiber content in hardened concrete slabs is presented. The technique is based on an open-ended coaxial probe reflectometry method for measuring the effective permittivity of the steel fiber reinforced concrete and on a classical homogenization approach for determining the fiber content. Two different full-wave models for the probe-aperture admittance as a function of the permittivity are applied: a spectral domain model for the forward problem and a rational function approximation for the inverse problem. A Maxwell-Garnett type of mixing rule is derived for randomly oriented conducting prolate spheroids in a dielectric host medium. A coaxial probe has been constructed, calibration aspects are discussed, and experimental results are presented for concrete slabs with various fiber contents. It can be concluded that the presented technique is a promising one.

Luc Taerwe

Papers

Design of concrete members strengthened with externally bonded FRP reinforcement

Bond durability of BFRP bars embedded in concrete under seawater conditions and the long-term bond strength prediction

Structural behaviour and design of concrete members strengthened with externally bonded FRP reinforcement

Revealing the temperature history in concrete after fire exposure by microscopic analysis

Nondestructive determination of the steel fiber content in concrete slabs with an open-ended coaxial probe