Failure modes in structural applications of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and their prevention

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials have been increasingly used in civil engineering applications in the past two decades. Their wide ranging use, however, is still not realized due to a few fundamental issues including high material costs, relatively short history of applications and the gaps in the development of established standards. Design safety requires that all possible modes and mechanisms of failure are identified, characterized, and accounted for in the design procedures. This chapter provides a review of the failure types encountered in structural engineering applications of FRP and the preventive methods and strategies that have been developed to eliminate or delay such failures. As part of preventive measures, various non-destructive testing (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) methods used for monitoring FRP applications are discussed with illustrative examples.