CFRP Strengthening is the Economical Option in Many Cases !

The relative economics of using strengthening material is complicated matter. There are several major factors which must be considered, like cost of the material, installation process, necessity of shut down, whole-life costing, level of strengthening, disruption consequences, etc... The choice is not easy and depends on the circumstances. CFRP facilitates the ideal strengthening process.

Major factor is access for installation and the required possession time. That cost may vary, however in many cases costs of shut down, heavy lifting, access, strengthening methodology, program of works, social costs of disruption speak in favour of using CFRP material rather than conventional methods. Talking about installation, we can’t forget about required curing time to provide proper material properties, tidiness of the works and related complains, easy supervision. Such factors are not insignificant and seem to be an argument in favour of CFRP.

Strengthening using CFRP Material @ Lift Slab for Additional Opening in a Hotel in Dubai "Conventional Way for Strengthening is not a Correct Option Due to Hard Access and Limitation of Time" 

Worth deep analysis is the so-called whole-life costing. This is already recognised in BS EN 1504 Part 9 and Concrete Society TR 55. Both documents pay attention to the number and cost of repair cycles during the design life and cost of additional protection or further repair options. Consideration of cost of a whole-life maintenance is a must in harsh environment of GCC region. Where airborne salinisation is on extremely high level, specially on the coast areas, corrosion of steel comes rapidly, therefore, durability of the concrete is compromised. The most economical choice of repair and strengthening methods and their durability must be preceded by reasonable structural assessment.

We believe that an experienced applicator, who understands all circumstances, is the key to successful strengthening and fast-track execution in the established budget. Fix Concrete has many years of experience in applying an innovative CFRP method in practice and has engineering staff that creatively and individually approaches each project. We can analyse all pros and cons and advise you on choosing the best method of work.