Since 1993, Hughes Brothers has been at the forefront of worldwide academic and industry efforts to define consensus standards and methods. Many thousands of structures remain in-service and are performing well, that incorporate Aslan™ 100 Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) also referred to as “fiberglass rebar”.
Aslan™ 500 Carbon FRP “Tape” is used to structurally strengthen existing concrete, wood, stone or masonry members in flexure and shear. It is called a “tape” to help distinguish it from pre-cured laminate plates and field lay-up FRP materials. The Aslan 500 CFRP tape is a pre-cured rectangular bar with a surface texture on each wide face which helps improve bond with the structural adhesives.
Structures that are deficient due to either a structural flaw, deterioration or because of a change in use can often be brought to a useful capacity using Aslan 500.
With extremely high strength and stiffness, along with the fact that they will not rust or corrode and are very light weight, FRP’s such as the Aslan 500 tape are added to the concrete cover of an existing structure using a technique called “Near Surface Mount” or NSM strengthening. The method is analogous to adding “band aid” rebar to the structure.