The remaining corrosion-free service life of all existing steel reinforced concrete in buildings, bridges and other infrastructure is one of the big topics of today’s economic communities. The financing needs for restauration or reconstruction means a significant risk for future economic growth strategies. The handling of the aging public and private infrastructure under resource management points of view is a very critical topic.
The civil engineering by using materials for the building production stage without any regard on reducing the overconsumption of materials actually contributes significantly to the decrease of materials and energy resources. Based on missing or not noticed alternatives a drastically short time change is not visible. Nethertheless first options were available in the last years.
The substitution of steel mats by carbon fiber based knitted fabric (Carbon Fiber Textile Concrete) and the use of adhesive bonded carbon fiber laminates for repairing or additional reinforcement are the first step in the right direction.
Another more effective way is the new basic approach not only to substitute the steel but also to generate new construction options with carbon fiber reinforced polymer components. These carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) components combined with carbon fiber textile reinforced concrete will offer a new dimension for additional mass reduction of the concrete itself. They also can include new concepts for a quick and economic repairing of existing concrete structures to extend their lifetime.
But unfortunately there still exist only minor experience with prototypes using CFRP structural parts as load-bearing structure in combination with concrete.
With best regards
Michael
I think the discussion is on fiber-reinforced concrete and not on polymer-based composites. The replacement of steel by carbon fiber is a hot topic. It is corrosion-free and light weight. You need less concrete, since there no risk of corrosion. it could be perfectly used for the repair of existing structures. There has been a lot of research on textile-based concrete in the past decades in Germany. Textile-reinforced concrete has recently achieved a general admission to be used as a building material. A lot more research is under way especially in the C3-project: http://www.bauen-neu-denken.de/. A first bridge was built: http://www.innovationintextiles.com/textile-concrete-bridge-in-albstadt-lautlingen/
http://www.bauen-neu-denken.de/
http://www.innovationintextiles.com/textile-concrete-bridge-in-albstadt-lautlingen/
I think the discussion is on fiber-reinforced concrete and not on polymer-based composites. The replacement of steel by carbon fiber is a hot topic. It is corrosion-free and light weight. You need less concrete, since there no risk of corrosion. it could be perfectly used for the repair of existing structures. There has been a lot of research on textile-based concrete in the past decades in Germany. Textile-reinforced concrete has recently achieved a general admission to be used as a building material. A lot more research is under way especially in the C3-project: http://www.bauen-neu-denken.de/. A first bridge was built: http://www.innovationintextiles.com/textile-concrete-bridge-in-albstadt-lautlingen/
http://www.bauen-neu-denken.de/
http://www.innovationintextiles.com/textile-concrete-bridge-in-albstadt-lautlingen/
I agree that producing corrosion free lightweight weight structure will do wonders for a sustainable construction. However, thinking of the long term effect that new materials will consequently have to our already depleted environment should be always be considered. Obviously, producing new materials will lead to an increased in demand for earth natural resources, including the industrial processes will be the challenge for a green construction
However, to repair or to strengthened damage structures would definitely require additional new materials in the form of laminate externally bonded or by adding admixtures.
However, as the saying goes "no venture no gain".
Dear Abdul,
from first viewpoint you are right.
Concerning the possibility to reduce the dimension of a concrete plate from 12 cm to 2 cm, there will be a major effect on the reduction of naturell resources.
With best regards
Joachim
The Engineering community at large seldom looks to the construction industry for "high tech:" Large scale use of these materials could give us stronger, longer lasting, structures with some added opportunities for creative architecture. The path to industrialization will be interesting to watch.
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