Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites standardization in the United States

Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of Pittsburgh

In the construction industry, formal standardization – through development of mandatorylanguage Codes, Standards, and Specifications – is an indication of a mature material or technology. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, in only the last few years, have achieved this threshold in the United States practice.

This presentation will summarize the rapid advances in standardization in the US across the spectrum of FRP in Construction. Multiple GFRP reinforcing bar specifications have been developed (ASTM D7957 and D8505), and the new ACI CODE-440.11-22 allows the design of GFRP-reinforced concrete that is consistent with, and therefore complementary to, US practice for steel-reinforced concrete (ACI CODE 318). The new ASCE 74-23 design standard for structures using pultruded GFRP provides a means to achieve building code-compliant designs.

Finally, ACI CODE 440.13-24, which addresses the design of FRP strengthening of concrete structures, represents a first-of-its-kind mandatory standard for such applications. All three design standards change the calculus for the use of FRP in US practice. This presentation will provide insight into each standard from someone who contributed to all of them

Kent Harries is a professor of Strucutral Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Pittsburgh. Professor Harries chairs the committee that wrote ACI CODE 440.13 and served on the committee that wrote ACI CODE 440.11 and ASCE 74, contributing to both. 

Harries also serves on and contributes to ASTM Committee D30, which is promulgating material specficiations that enable the new FRP design Codes. In addition to FRP material use, Harries' expertise extends to other nonconventional engieering materials (bamboo) and to the developmen of effective standards. 

Harries is a Fellow ASCE, ACI, and IIFC and a licensed professional engineer in Ontario, Canada. He is senior editor of Construction and Building Materials and principal editor responsible for Publication Ethics for three Elsevier journals.