Composites: Coming on Strong

The use of advance composite materials in construction is an exciting and rapidly expanding market. Until only a few years ago, application of these materials to concrete structures was only the subject of research in the U.S. (Nanni 1993). Today, many companies are involved in the manufacturing, design, and installation of these systems in construction projects worldwide. Tens of projects in the U.S. alone have been completed accounting for millions of square feet of this material. In addition, accepted building codes for using composite materials are beginning to surface from organizations such as ACI and ICBO (ACI Committee 440, 1996; ICBO 1997). This material has quickly risen from state-of-the-art to mainstream technology.