A bridge may require retrofitting due to upgrading of design standards, increased safety requirements, change in its function, loads can increase or higher building standards become required and the structure must be made compliant. In such scenarios appropriate method and material is a prerequisite to regaining their structural strength. One such method is Carbon fiber wrap technology. It uses carbon fiber fabrics on the surface of the concrete to form a composite that works in coordination with concrete to strengthen the component structure and improve its mechanical performance. The method can be used on nearly any type of structural member to harden and increase structural capacity and protect against uplift, progressive collapse, and spalling.
Unlike traditional retrofit or reconstruction techniques, carbon wrap goes right over the existing substrate. This minimizes disruption during repair and saves significantly on installation time and costs. RELinforce™ by Reliance Composite Solutions comes with properties such as high tensile strength, high stiffness, high strength to weight ratio, high chemical resistance, temperature tolerance to excessive heat and low thermal expansion. It is applied in the form of a flexible fabric during installation, then saturated with a resin matrix, allowing it to harden to transform to a strong, unyielding material with a high strength-to-weight ratio.
Relinforce™ product lines can be used to retrofit and strengthen the damaged or deficient concrete structures to take the designed loads with the use of carbon wrap technology. Relinforce™ system comprises high-strength carbon fabric fully saturated with an appropriate resin system to provide required additional strength to any damaged structure.
Advantages of Relinforce™ Carbon Fiber Wrapping
Relinforce™ just doesn’t repair degraded structures, but it makes the structures stronger even against harmful effects of seismic forces or further corrosion. Unlike traditional retrofit or reconstruction techniques that require demolition and reconstruction of part or whole failing structures, Carbon wrap goes right over the existing substrate, minimizing disruption during repair and saving significantly on installation time and costs.
Reinforce™, the advanced composite materials brand from Reliance Industries Ltd., makes and utilizes Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites in a wide range of customized applications for industry-specific clients. Our operations include designing, application & material development, manufacturing, installation & commissioning of state-of-the-art composite solutions.
About Relinforce™ Carbon wrap & Glass Fiber-reinforced polymer products
Relinforce™ range of Carbon wrap & Glass Fiber-reinforced polymer products are manufactured and supplied under Reliance India’s Composites Solution Division. Reliance Industries Limited is India’s largest private and one of the most profitable private sector companies and the first Indian Fortune 500 company. They offer a wide range of materials and products from standard shapes/materials to the most challenging solutions, including custom fabrication and installation that can cater to the emerging needs of various industry segments.
The Material Engineering Centre (MEC) and Application Development Centre (ADC) are their key differentiators-
Material Engineering Centre:
- Structural design & development
- Load path investigation for design
- Industrial design, new concepts in reinforcement
- Strengthening of metal/concrete pipes (with & without leak conditions & internal/external rehab)
- Strengthening of RCC columns/piles and steel beams/structures
- Strengthening of prestressed concrete beams
Application Development Centre:
- Design and development of customized solutions as per client needs
- Replication of application from lab scale to actual site conditions
- Equipped with proper instruments and standards for requisite testing
- Team of experts having hands-on experience in handling various chemistries viz epoxy, vinyl ester, phenolic, polyester and other thermosets
To know more about the product, visit- https://www.reliancecomposites.com/