Carbon fiber composites in civil engineering

This article focuses on the structural uses of carbon fiber composites.

We omit decorative uses and short fibers, although concrete reinforced with 1-4% short carbon fibers has been known since 1970. Industrial applications of this concrete are limited to the use of low-cost fibers with lesser mechanical properties. The carbon fiber filler is used to manufacture lightweight concrete panels that are relatively weather-resistant and can be installed on the exterior of buildings. The first application of these panels was to cover the Al Shaheed dome in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1982. Since then, applications seem limited to pitch fibers and other textile fibers such as polyethylene and polypropylene.