Akira Kobayashi

DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINUOUS FIBER FLEXIBLE REINFORCEMENT

The authors have developed a continuous fiber flexible reinforcement (CFFR) which as good workability and can be used as a reinforcement in concrete. It consists of a plastic tube containing continuous fiber bundles and resin. The salient feature of this new material is that it can be easily formed at the construction site. The authors have conducted a study of fabrication methods of the material and an evaluation of its mechanical properties. This paper introduces the material and fabrication methods, and details the tensile strength of a member formed from this material. A member bent into a U shape was subjected to a load test to examine its basic properties. As a result, it was found that even when the material was bent, the applied tensile load was transmitted through it. Also, the load-deflection characteristic of the material and the stress concentration due to bending were influenced by the wall thickness of the plastic tube.