Crack growth of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP)/polymer mixed concrete (PMC) system (bonded by epoxy resin) due to constant load/stress / Mohd Yusri Ramlee

Cement concrete have been used in construction industry for many years because of their good compressive strength, cheap, and lasting. However, cement concrete that we are using are brittle, easy crack, and water can diffuse through the cement concrete due to bending and tensile load. Because of that we need to do regularly maintenance. It will increase the cost of engineering work. The cement concrete is also heavy and it is not easy to transport it to site. In recent years, applications of cement concrete in construction industry have been improved in terms of strength and light. This reduces the maintenance and transportation costs. The use of polymers was considered to be a sign of progress and modern attitude in construction. Glass fibre reinforced polyester panels, polyester resin and polyester mortar were known as inexpensive plastics. Epoxy glues were used as highly performing adhesives in concrete precast applications, meanwhile epoxy resins were used as binders in chemically resistant coatings and flooring systems. Research aimed at developing new, improved polymers was continuously done. In a few years, the construction industry has shown significant interest in the use of high strength concrete. The use of fibre reinforced plastic to improve the strength and deformation properties of the cement matrix is now well established. The concept of fibre reinforced plastic is to use the deformation of the matrix under stress to transfer load to the fiber. This is due to improvements in structural performance, such as high strength and durability.