Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs)

Over the past thirty years, composite materials combining polymer matrices with textile reinforcements have been gradually introduced into the construction field. Their corrosion-resistant properties have led to the first industrial applications in the field of chemical engineering.

The concept of multi-materials within sandwich-type structures has opened up the field of applications for façade and roofing panels in the building industry, combining mechanical and thermal insulation properties. In view of the specific strength and stiffness performances of materials such as carbon-epoxy composites developed for aeronautical applications, potential technological advances have enabled construction processes for engineering structures to evolve by seeking either :

• replace metal cables and stays with composite cables ;

• replace traditional reinforced concrete decks with composite elements such as caissons, sandwiches or mixed elements.

Over the past ten years, FRP composites have established themselves as particularly effective reinforcement and repair processes, in a general context aimed at improving the durability and safety of existing buildings and infrastructures, in the face of increasingly stringent in-service operating conditions and extreme stress conditions (explosion, earthquake).

The experience acquired in the field of repair and a better assessment of the durability of these materials in the environmental conditions specific to civil engineering have enabled us to develop niche markets in which the corrosion resistance and staling properties of FRP make it possible to replace metal reinforcement (steel, stainless steel) in underground concrete structures, in marine sites and in specific industrial installations.