Mechanics of Composite Materials, Vol. 44, No. 3, 2008
PREFACE This special issue of the journal Mechanics of Composite Materials on composites in construction contains selected topics presented at the 2nd Young Researchers Conference on FRP Reinforcement in Construction, which was organized by the European Network for Composite Reinforcement, En-Core, in Dübendorf, Switzerland in January 2007. En-Core is a European-funded Network comprising a cohesive and complementary team of top experts in the use of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) for the reinforcement and strengthening of concrete structures. The main aims of this network are to address specific scientific challenges in the field and develop tests and models to help with the standardisation process and to bridge the gap between academia and industry so as to accelerate the transfer of knowledge and adoption of FRPs in construction. The network contributes actively to the technical activities of Task Group 9.3 of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) and strives to create an ideal environment for delivering the best training for young researchers in the field of FRP reinforcement using a variety of delivery modalities, including intensive research training courses, young researchers’ conferences and industry mentoring. This special issue is a part of the Network’s effort to disseminate the latest scientific achievements in the field of composites in construction and aims at providing a topical collection of papers discussing the use of composites in structural engineering applications. The eight papers contained in this special issue highlight the keen interest in the use of composites for the repair and rehabilitation of existing structures, with seven papers discussing issues related to the flexural and shear strengthening of reinforced concrete beams and the confinement of reinforced concrete columns. The paper by Pereira et al. presents the development of a new type of braided FRP bar. Various types of materials and manufacturing techniques are considered in this study that focuses on producing a bar to be used as concrete reinforcement. The next two papers deal with strengthening of reinforced concrete beams in shear and propose design equations for predicting the shear capacity of the strengthened beams. A model based on the development of experimentally observed failure modes is proposed by Pellegrino et al., whilst Sas et al. discuss a fracture mechanics-based approach. When dealing with flexural strengthening of existing reinforced concrete beams, premature failure of the strengthened elements due to issues related to the bond performance of the strengthening system still remains a subject of debate within the scientific community. The papers by Nardini et al. and Vasseur et al. investigate such issues in simply supported and continuous beams, respectively. An innovative flexural strengthening system, combining the use of timber and FRPs, is then introduced in the paper by Mazzon et al. The papers by Monti and Nistico and Alessandri and Monti deal with the confinement of square and rectangular columns and discuss analytical models for the assessment and design of strengthened elements under axial and combined biaxial bending and axial loads, respectively. This special issue would not have been possible without the invaluable assistance of the members of the European Network for Composite Reinforcement, En-Core, and the support of Task Group 9.3 of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib). I would like to take this opportunity to thank the authors for contributing to this issue on composites in construction, as well as the reviewers for their important comments and technical discussions ensuring that high standards are maintained. Finally, sincere thanks are extended to the editor of the journal, Vitauts Tamuzs, for his continuous support and guidance in the course of preparing this publication. M. Guadagnini Guest editor
0191-5665/08/4403-0197 © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
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