Enhancing timber structures with advanced fibre reinforced plastic composite reinforcements

Advanced Fibre Reinforced Plastic Composites (AFRPs) have considerable potential to enhance the strength, stiffness, durability, and ductility of traditional construction materials used in structures The use of FRP composites Ibr structures in Australia is very new and their potential for rehabilitation end repair of timber structures is highly significant in order to develop this new technology Be University of Technology, Sydney has commenced a research end development program to characterise FRP / timber composite properties with lower grade plantation timbers and LVL The aim of this work is to develop techniques for using FRP's to enhance the structural capacity of existing timber members and for repair and rehabilitation of damaged members. This paper presents details of this work and discusses implications for its application.