Fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement enters fib Model Code 2010

Most applications of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) deal with externally bonded reinforcement as a means of repairing and strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures or retrofitting RC structures in seismic regions. As internal reinforcement, FRP rebars or (more rarely) prestressing elements are used in special projects, combining material strength and durability characteristics. Over the last years, several national and international design guidelines have become available specifically for the design and application of FRP-strengthened or FRP-reinforced concrete structures. These efforts clearly demonstrate the interest in FRP as a novel reinforcing material for concrete construction. Hence, the time had come to introduce FRP reinforcement into the new fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 as well. The main contributions to the fib Model Code 2010 relate to sections 5.5 “Non-metallic reinforcement” and 6.2 “Bond of non-metallic reinforcement”. The material presented in those two sections is further elaborated in this article.