FRP Retrofit Solutions: Critical Issues for Peer Review"

by Mark Williams, P.E., Hakim Bouadi, P.E. and Dilip Choudhuri, P.E.

From the January 2008 issue of Structure Magazine

"Structural strengthening using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) has become a viable alternative to conventional strengthening techniques for reinforced concrete structures. FRP composites have been successfully applied to both new and existing structures to increase the as-built capacity, and/or address deterioration-related damage. Since FRP is still an emerging technology with some design and application uncertainty, structural engineers often issue performance specifications for the FRP design option. However, in such cases, the Engineer of Record (EOR) is required to review design calculations performed by others. This article provides general guidelines for peer reviewing FRP strengthened solutions. The article focuses on the use of FRP fabric for the retrofit solution. ..."