composite / Fibre-Reinforced / Cementitious FRC
Carbon-fibre reinforced concrete panel (75mm, 100mm, 150mm panel; 0.17mm-0.5mm CFRP layer)
Concrete panels strengthened with CFRP plates/fabrics. CFRP plate properties: tensile strength ~2900?3100 MPa, modulus 165?170 GPa, elongation ~1.8%, density ~1.60 g/cm?, Tg >100 ?C.
Atlas code
COM-FRC-CEM-003
At-a-glance signals
Concrete panels strengthened with CFRP plates/fabrics. CFRP plate properties: tensile strength ~2900?3100 MPa, modulus 165?170 GPa, elongation ~1.8%, density ~1.60 g/cm?, Tg >100 ?C.
Overview
Executive summary
Carbon-fibre reinforced concrete panels use CFRP plates or fabrics bonded to concrete to increase tensile and flexural capacity. Manufacturer data for prefabricated CFRP plates report tensile strength around 2900?3100 N/mm?, tensile modulus about 165?170 GPa, elongation at break ~1.8%, density ~1.60 g/cm?, and glass transition temperature >100 ?C (EN 61006).
Best when…
- CFRP plates provide high tensile strength (~2900?3100 MPa) and high modulus (165?170 GPa)
- Low density (~1.60 g/cm3) provides high strength-to-weight ratio
- Tg >100 ?C reported for CFRP plate systems (adhesive-dependent)
Top advantages
- 01 CFRP plates provide high tensile strength (~2900?3100 MPa) and high modulus (165?170 GPa)
- 02 Low density (~1.60 g/cm3) provides high strength-to-weight ratio
- 03 Tg >100 ?C reported for CFRP plate systems (adhesive-dependent)
Top limitations
- 01 Panel performance is highly design- and system-dependent (plate layout, adhesive, concrete)
- 02 Fire performance requires system-specific testing and protection
- 03 Specialist installation and QA/QC are required for bonded CFRP systems
Technical
Physical ·9
- Density
- 1.60 g/cm3 CFRP plate density (manufacturer data).
- Specific gravity
- 2.35-2.55 (composite system)
- Porosity
- 12-18% (at 2% fibre content) %
- Water absorption
- 3-6% by weight (24-hour immersion) %
- Hardness
- Shore D 75-85 (surface hardness)
- UV resistance
- Excellent (carbon fibres stable, requires protective coating for epoxy)
- Chemical resistance
- Excellent (pH 4.0-14.0, carbon fibres chemically inert)
- pH tolerance
- 4.0-14.0 (suitable for aggressive environments)
- Surface roughness
- Ra = 2-15 µm, Rz = 10-80 µm (depends on formwork/finish) µm
Mechanical ·7
- Tensile strength
- 2900-3100 MPa CFRP plate tensile strength (manufacturer data).
- Compressive strength
- 35-52 MPa (75mm: 35-45, 100mm: 40-50, 150mm: 42-52 MPa) MPa
- Flexural strength
- Project-specific Panel flexural strength depends on concrete and CFRP design; verify with manufacturer/engineer.
- Shear strength
- 8-15 MPa (in-plane); 25-45 MPa (interlaminar) MPa
- Poisson's ratio
- 0.15-0.22 (concrete dominated behaviour)
- Impact resistance
- High (3-5× conventional concrete, project-specific testing required)
- Creep resistance
- Excellent (carbon fibres exhibit negligible creep)
Sustainability & Health
Embodied carbon & energy ·7
- Embodied carbon
- 60-360 kgCO2e/m² (26-27% reduction vs steel-reinforced)
- Carbon footprint
- 60-360 kgCO2e/m² (75mm: 60-180, 100mm: 120-240, 150mm: 180-360)
- Embodied energy
- 920-2760 MJ/m² (varies with thickness and CFRP content) MJ/kg
- Water footprint
- 5-16 L/m² (46% reduction vs steel-reinforced systems) L/kg
- Recycled content
- 0-30% (potential for recycled aggregate in concrete) %
- Renewable content
- 0-5% (limited to bio-based resins if specified) %
- Circular score
- 6/10 (high recyclability, energy-intensive production)
Compliance & Fire
No compliance data recorded for this material.
Cost & Lifecycle
Service life & durability ·3
- Expected lifespan
- 75-100 years (internal); 30-50 years (external protected)
- Maintenance interval
- 5-10 years inspection; 15-20 years protective coating renewal
- Warranty period
- 10-25 years (10-15 material; 25 with approved installer)
Layer D
Where it's used
Structural strengthening and rehabilitation of existing concrete structures
Seismic retrofitting for earthquake resistance in Australian standards
Bridge deck overlays and girder strengthening for infrastructure upgrade
Marine and coastal structures requiring corrosion resistance
Cyclone-resistant construction in Northern Australia (C1-C4 regions)
Facade panels for commercial and residential buildings
Precast architectural elements with reduced thickness and weight
Industrial flooring requiring chemical and abrasion resistance
Blast-resistant panels for security infrastructure
Tunnel lining and underground structure reinforcement
Wind turbine tower construction and renewable energy infrastructure
Prefabricated modular construction systems