Polymer Materials to Enhance Performance of Concrete in Civil Infrastructure

The use of polymer materials in the construction of buildings, bridges, industrial facilities buildings, and other civil engineering facilities is well established. In recent years, the use of polymers has had an increasing impact on both new construction and the repair of the aging infrastructure. Applications range from all composite structures in corrosive environments, to hybrid structures, to bonded FRP applications for repair and strengthening of existing structures. This paper provides the reader with an overview of the current uses of polymers to enhance concrete performance in civil infrastructure. Their use presents unique problems related to both short-term mechanical aspects and long-term durability issues that have not been encountered in the more common aerospace or processing applications. This paper is divided into internal reinforcement, bonded reinforcement, and polymer overlay of concrete. The current state-of-the-art of each area is summarized.