Throughout a structure’s service life, its uses and requirements can change due to increased loads, altered functions, under design, wrong construction or updated building standards and regulations.
Reliable and economical alternative
Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening systems have emerged as a highly efficient, reliable and economical alternative to conventional retrofitting methods.
Sika provides comprehensive structural strengthening systems design to restore, enhance and future-proof existing structures. These proven and tested solutions improve bending, shear and impact resistance across reinforced concrete, steel, wood and masonry load-bearing structures. Sika’s structural strengthening systems have been tested extensively to ensure their long-term performance, reliability and durability.
Typical applications include column and beam strengthening, pre-stressed strengthening, increasing impact resistance and crack mitigation. From the initial condition assessment to the handover of the completed project, Sika provides expert technical support at every stage.
The Sika CarboDur® System is one of the most established carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) based structural strengthening solutions worldwide. The system combines Sika CarboDur® CFRP plates and rods with Sikadur® structural epoxy adhesives to deliver improve flexural strength and durability of the structure.
Used for flexural strengthening of dynamic and statically loaded buildings
Sika CarboDur® plates and rods are manufactured from carbon fibre reinforced polymers and are used for the flexural strengthening of dynamic and statically loaded buildings and other structures including bridges, beams, ceilings and walls, for both negative and positive moments. The Sika CarboDur® product range includes:
- Prefabricated CFRP plates & Rods suitable for externally bonded or near-surface mounted applications, available in multiple sizes and stiffness grades;
- Innovative L-shaped CFRP plates developed specifically to enhance shear capacity by anchoring stirrup forces into the concrete compression zone;
- Post‑tensioned CFRP plates designed to minimise cracking and deflection while improving seismic and fatigue resistance.
The SikaWrap® Fabric Strengthening System is comprised of carbon fibre fabrics and Sikadur® structural epoxy impregnating resins. The fabrics are designed to address a wide range of structural strengthening challenges and is especially suited to complex geometries.
The system can be used to increase the flexural and shear loading capacity of elements and structures, enhance the load-carrying capacity or ductility of structural members in compression, replace missing steel reinforcement, upgrade weak concrete elements or structures, improve impact resistance and provide passive strengthening for seismic event protection.
Free Software for Advanced Structural Design – link to the App https://software.sika.com/structural
Tailored for structural engineers and consultants, Sika offers the Sika® CarboDur® software – an innovative software developed for fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening design.
The software simplifies the selection and configuration of Sika® CarboDur® and SikaWrap® systems, ensuring efficient and reliable design outcomes. Users have access to Sika’s professional technical support, ensuring guidance is available from conceptual design through to project completion.
For more information visit: www.sika.ie