Overview	Mission	Research Areas

Research Areas.

Structural rehabilitation of constructed facilities is high in the agenda of critical needs worldwide, and is a major area of business for the construction industry. This need arises to respond to the deterioration of the built infrastructure because of aging, increased performance requirements under normal operation and extreme events (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, blast), inadequate routine inspection and maintenance, exposure to harsh and changing environments (such as coastal regions), substandard quality of materials and construction practice, and combinations thereof. These factors, combined with budget constraints, call better materials and technologies for structural rehabilitation as well as for new construction.

The competitiveness of advanced composites emerges from the unique combination of corrosion resistance, light weight, tailorability of the physical and mechanical properties, and compatibility with low-cost applications for the construction sector.

For example, the use of externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) systems for the strengthening, repair and retrofit (seismic, blast) of reinforced and prestressed concrete is becoming mainstream because of its speed, ease, effectiveness and cost savings.  In new construction, a technology that holds exceptional promise is that of internal FRP reinforcement for concrete structures, pointing to a variety of applications where it becomes preferable to traditional steel, and a more rational response to the growing demand for sustainable construction.

RB2C strives to stay at the forefront of advanced composite research for civil engineering by focusing in the following areas:

• Development and validation of materials, systems and manufacturing methods that use advanced polymer- and cement-based composites for the rehabilitation of concrete and metallic structures.

• Development and validation of rational analysis and design tools.

• Field testing, monitoring and evaluation.

• Standardization and code approval of products and design protocols.

• Education and technology transfer.