Fiber-Reinforced-Plastic/Concrete Structural Members

Improved concrete structural members such as columns, piers, and piles can be manufactured by incorporating fiber-reinforced-plastic (FRP) exterior shells and FRP interior submembers. The FRP components impart greater compressive, flexural and shear strengths and ductility to a concrete structural member, relative to a similar concrete structural member made in the conventional way, without FRP. During fabrication, the FRP exterior shell also serves as a form for casting the concrete. Moreover, during use of the structure, the FRP exterior shell prevents or retards the intrusion of moisture, thereby helping to prevent or retard both environmental degradation of the concrete and corrosion of any steel reinforcement or steel structural member(s) embedded or anchored in the concrete. Thus, concrete structural members made with FRP offer greater strength and durability that should be especially advantageous for bridges and similar structures in hurricane-prone coastal areas, earthquake zones, and regions where moist concrete is damaged during freeze/thaw cycles.