Structural Reinforcement - FRP
How often do you hear about structural reinforcements in polymer fibers? But how many of you actually know where the need for such applications begins?
Structural reinforcement represents a very complex activity to carry out; it involves intervening on the load-bearing parts of an existing building, which has already been in use for some time and has its own identity. Today, it is very easy to encounter activities of this kind considering that the Italian building stock is now "old," so it is increasingly common, when carrying out a simple renovation of a property, to come across significant structural issues that cannot be ignored.
The engineering world has responded to these issues by directing research towards the concept of minimal invasiveness, respect for pre-existing structures, and greater exploitation of material capabilities. Based on these premises, the concept of invasive and massive intervention using traditional construction materials has been abandoned for years, favoring interventions using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP). These, based on materials such as carbon, glass fiber, or steel fiber, allow for structural reinforcements of any kind while minimizing invasiveness. With these techniques, for example, it is possible to carry out a structural reinforcement intervention without necessarily turning the entire building into a construction site, but by intervening in local points that allow for the improvement of the entire building's performance, thus making it capable of withstanding greater stress.
The evolution of both Italian and international regulations has highlighted, thanks to various studies carried out on disastrous events such as earthquakes, that it is increasingly necessary to intervene on existing buildings to adapt them to new resistance and ductility parameters, especially with regard to dynamic actions.
The leading companies in the sector immediately took up the challenge, investing in research on reinforcement interventions and offering solutions with different FRP technologies:
- Carbon fibers;
- Galvanized steel fibers;
- Basalt fibers.
Over the years, these technologies have improved, reaching very high levels of resistance that allow for sustainable structural reinforcement interventions, even for important historic buildings, which are present in large numbers throughout Italy.
FRP - System produced by Olympus Srl
FRP - System produced by Olympus Srl