1 – Structurally deficient civil engineering infrastructure: concrete, metallic, masonry and timber structures

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structurally deficient civil engineering infrastructure: concrete, metallic, masonry, and timber structures. The repair of deteriorated, damaged, and substandard civil infrastructure has become one of the important issues for the civil engineer worldwide. The rehabilitation of existing structures is fast growing, especially in developed countries, which completed most of their infrastructure in the middle period of the last century. The structures that were built after World War II had little attention paid to durability issues and the U.S, and Japan had inadequate knowledge of seismic design. The chapter gives an overview of the forms and properties of concrete, metallic, masonry, and timber structures that might need rehabilitation. The ways in which externally bonded FRP can be used to extend the lives of the structures are described. It describes general structural deficiencies and discusses the reasons for using FRP strengthening rather than conventional strengthening techniques.