3 April 2016

The mandate of the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Innovative Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composite Materials for Infrastructure has been renewed for a fourth time.

The Research Chair has been held by Professor Brahim Benmokrane and his team at the Université de Sherbrooke since the year 2000. The Chair is supported by seven industrial partners and two levels of government through total investments of $2.3M, as well as in-kind contributions of products and services.

The Research Chair is conducting studies to increase the resistance of reinforced concrete. At present, concrete is reinforced with steel. This steel is negatively affected by temperature fluctuations, the application of de-icing salt, and vehicular traffic. All of these factors result in corrosion of the steel, leading to cracks in the concrete. The Chair is striving to solve this problem by using materials other than steel, specifically fibre reinforced polymers (FRP).

“Our FRP concrete research lab is one of the largest in the world and has been visited by numerous researchers and international industrialists,” noted Mr. Bekmorane.

In concrete terms, the FRP reinforced concrete technologies developed by the Chair have successfully been used in hundreds of infrastructure projects: parking garages, concrete highway pavement, bridges, etc. Over the next five years, the Chair plans to expand its market through new applications, offered at lower costs.

Source: Université de Sherbrooke