What Is CFRP? All About Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers
What does CFRP stand for?
CFRP stands for Cabron Fiber Reinforced Polymer. It is a type of reinforcement that has several applications, throughout many industries.
What is CFRP used for?
CFRP is used for reinforcing structures and providing additional stability, strength, and resistance to concrete or reinforced concrete structures. CFRP is also used widely in retrofitting, such as increasing the load capacity in an old bridge that when originally designed, did not have to tolerate the service loads of modern transportation. CFRP can also be used to retrofit for seismic requirements and to repair damaged reinforced concrete structures. Because CFRP greatly increases the strength of a structure when applied, other uses for CFRP include flexural strength increases, sheer strength increase, and axial capacity increase.
What are the benefits of CFRP?
There are many benefits to CFRP as compared to other wrapping methods. First, CFRP provides significantly high strength and stiffness because of the addition of the carbon to the fiber. Second, the addition of the carbon to the fiber keeps the fiber lightweight. This makes the material able to be used in a wide array of applications. The last benefit of the addition of carbon to your fiber is the enhanced chemical resistance which can be beneficial in several application cases.
Is CFRP expensive?
Carbon fiber reinforced polymers are still a relatively new addition to the world of construction technology but because of advancements in manufacturing and raw materials used to make CFRP their cost is comparable to other reinforced solutions on the market today. Compared to alternatives, such as replacing the entire structure or costly repair of the failing parts of the structure, CFRP remains an economical alternative.
How is CFRP made?
CFRP is made in two main parts. The carbon fiber provides the majority of the strengthening and stability of the wrap while the polymer is the matrix that holds together the carbon fiber in the wrap form. The flexibility of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer provides applications that supersede the technical applications of traditional metal reinforcements. To make the carbon fiber aspect of the wrap, manufacturers first must make the carbon filament that is woven together in sheets. The carbon filament is made using chemical and mechanical processes that align the polymer chains to make the properties of the final fabric have the desired properties. After this, the fiber is heat treated to rid the filament of non-carbon atoms, a process known as carbonization. Then, depending on the desired thickness, finish, and directional need of the final sheet, the carbon filament is spun into a continuous sheet.
Where can CFRP be used?
CFRP can be used in many different applications. For CSC, we specialize in the application of CFRP in engineering and construction environments. There are many places where you can use CFRP including bridges, building columns, cylinder pipes, and many other concrete based structures, both regular and reinforced.