Techreport,
International workshop on preservation of Historical structures with FRP composites
Final Report, National Science Foundation (NSF), Arlington, VA 22230 USA, (July 2004)
Abstract
In the last two decades, advanced composites (fiber-reinforced polymer
or FRP) have gained considerable worldwide interest and growing acceptance
in the construction industry. The preservation of historical structures
is one of the most appealing applications of FRP composites in the
construction field. However, this application presents some critical
issues still not sufficiently investigated: 1) long-term durability
of FRPrepaired structures; 2) compatibility of the FRP system with
the parent material; 3) minimal invasiveness and reversibility of
the upgrade; and 4) optimal material selection. All the aforementioned
issues, of paramount importance for intervention on structures of
architectural/historical interest, are also relevant when dealing
with any other category of structure, when looking at long-term performance
and global cost-benefit balance. Each of these issues requires an
interdisciplinary effort between researchers and practitioners with
material-oriented and structural-oriented backgrounds and experts
of architectural restoration.
The International Workshop on Preservation of Historical Structures
with FRP Composites held in Lecce, Italy, on June 9-10, 2004, aimed
at a) discussing the aforementioned key issues in a multidisciplinary
environment of leading experts; b) prioritizing research needs for
the future; c) proposing and assessing a novel format for a possible
series of coordinated activities to follow. The research tasks were
subdivided into five subtopical areas: causes and modes of material/structural
degradation; traditional and emerging materials/technologies for
preservation; compatibility requirements of traditional and emerging
materials; non-destructive assessment, evaluation and monitoring;
existing practice
and standards on preservation of historical structures and case histories.
Within the five subtopical areas, the
issues relevant to the four fundamental questions raised above were
discussed.
This document reports the outcomes of the discussion during the preparation
phase and the working sessions of
the Workshop and outlines directions of the activities to follow.
