Inspection of bonded FRP system for strengthening masonry structures

The use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer systems for strengthening ancient buildings has became very popular all over the world. Their large success in this field depends on their several advantages over traditional materials such as reinforced concrete and steel. With respect to these materials, they are lightweight with superior strength and stiffness, non-corrosive, relatively easy to handle in the job-site and to install. This large spread has not always been followed by a good knowledge of their calculation methods and installation procedures. Furthermore the durability of these materials has still to be well investigated. For these reasons it is necessary to develop inspection methods to evaluate the acceptance of the FRP system installed, both for the new and the old works. This research aims to propose some inspection methods based on non-destructive testing. The final purpose of all this work is to supply the technicians (Testers, Clerks of works) with an instrument in order to check the installation of bonded FRP systems.