Standards Development

Scope

This project is proposed to develop classification of FRP sheets for upgrading the performance of existing concrete structures.

Purpose

As fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets have high strength and superior durability and are easy handling on-site, they are being widely applied for existing RC structures to upgrade their mechanical and durability performance. The number of applications and user data have been rising significantly during the past three decades. Recently, the types of fibres adopted in FRP sheets include carbon fibre, aramid fibre, glass fibre, basalt fibre etc. Combining these fibres with different impregnating resins such as epoxy resin and vinyl ester resin, various FRP sheets with a wide range of mechanical properties have been developed. In addition, the existing FRP sheets within the context of ISO/TC71 SC6 have been focused on one-directional fibre sheets.In reality, FRP sheets with fibres placed in two or three directions are also being applied for upgrading planar structures such as concrete tunnels and two-way concrete slabs.

International standards on the test methods determining the mechanical properties of FRP sheets (especially those made of uni-axial fibres) are available. However, FRP sheets products provided by different manufacturers may not have unified properties even they are made of the same fibre and the expression of sheets properties by different manufacturers may also be different. In addition, a specific type of product may be particularly developed for a particular application. To differentiate the properties of these existing products and to ensure functionally appropriate and cost-effective use of FRP sheets products, there is a need to develop an international standard to unify the expression of the mechanical properties of different FRP sheets, classify their performance and identify their potential use. Following the standard, designers and end users can confirm by themselves the performance of FRP sheets and select appropriate products to facilitate a rational design.