Biobased FRPs for Retrofit and Rehabilitation of Civil Infrastructure

Applications of glass- and carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) in construction have increased in recent years due to the deterioration of civil infrastructure and the numerous advantages of FRPs. Many advantages of conventional polymers and FRPs, however, are also disadvantages, especially when considering their environmental impact. The low cost of many polymers is an artifact of their inexpensive petrochemical feedstock, and their strength and chemical recalcitrance make them very difficult to degrade after their service life. This work concerns the development and characterization of sustainable, low-carbon alternatives to traditional FRP materials. Epoxy-like resins derived from animal proteins are combined with natural fibers to produce fully biobased FRP composites. Preliminary results demonstrate that these biobased FRPs exhibit similar mechanical properties to traditional FRPs. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of using natural FRPs in structural applications are discussed, along with the development of predictive models to facilitate novel materials design.