Composite reinforcement for coastal defence project

The Blackpool Council, Lancashire, UK, construction contractor, Birse Coastal, and reinforcement expert, Schöck, Germany, worked together, to develop the innovative ComBAR glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP), to be used in the Blackpool Central coastal defense project. The companies and the Blackpool Council have been involved in extensive research development work, conducting trials, and adopting a proactive approach to design in the project. They have performed tests, to compare the crack limitation and deflection control of four different reinforcement layouts. All the structural members involved in the tests had the same reinforcement ratio and geometrical dimensions and three of them were reinforced with ComBAR reinforcement, while one was reinforced with steel. The three members reinforced with ComBAR developed cracks, which were closed after unloading, due to elasticity of the GFRP reinforcement bars.