Frp Structure Design Method Based on the Stiffness Equivalence: Case Study and Practice

Article history: Received 08.05.2012. Received in revised form 20.07.2012. Accepted 03.09.2012. Nowadays, fiber reinforced polymer materials are getting widely used in civil engineering. They have some advanced engineering characteristics like high stiffness-to-weight ratio, high strength-toweight ratio, anti-electromagnetic interference, electrical isolation and their long term durability. Metal and concrete, two main kinds of construction materials, are prone to failure during their structure service lives because of environmental adverse effects and atmospheric weathering. Those harsh attacks/impacts are oxidization, acidification, high temperature and alkali corrosion. After various maintenance methods like isolating the attacks or protecting plastic skins, an interface crack between protections can easily propagate and cause some durability concern. Fiber reinforced polymer emerges in a new era of civil engineering and can surely be added to traditional materials and/or traditional materials can surely be substituted by this material. This paper sets out to unfold a case study on how fiber reinforced polymer works in civil structures.