Abstract
Abstract
Advanced composite materials [fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP)] are becoming one of the major innovations in the construction field. After a relatively short research phase, they are now commonly used for repair and strengthening for many types of structure. The keys to the success of this technology are the reduction in labour cost, the speed of the application and the high durability of the system. This paper presents the largest FRP application carried out in Italy in 1999. The structure is a 30 year old, two-span, reinforced concrete (RC) bridge. Beams were reinforced in bending and columns in shear and confinement. The design aspect and working schedule are included in the paper, as well as indication of the construction time schedule in order to verify the assumption of lower cost in a real situation.
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