Preface to IIFC Special Issue

This special issue of the Journal of Composites for Construction, on “Recent International Advancements in FRP Research and Application in Construction,” contains selected topics presented at the Second International Conference on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering (CICE 2004), which was held at The University of Adelaide, Australia. CICE 2004 was also the first official conference of the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), which was founded in 2003 and became cosponsor of the Journal in 2005. This special issue, along with its companion special issue to be published in Construction and Building Materials (Vol. 21), is a direct result of the efforts and dedication of the members of the IIFC.

The 13 papers contained in this special issue have been developed to allow a thorough presentation of a diverse range of innovative topics by researchers from Asia, Europe, the United States, and Australia/New Zealand. The first paper in this special issue is by Feng et al. and introduces an innovative large-span FRP woven web roof structure. It is followed by a paper written by Täljsten and Blanksvärd on the use of cement based agents for the bonding of CFRP to concrete as an alternative to traditional epoxy adhesive bonding.

The next four papers are on the topic of bond and interfacial stresses between FRP and concrete. The first, by Thamrin and Kaku, is on the bond behavior of internal longitudinal CFRP reinforcement in concrete beams. The remaining three papers in this group are on the interfacial behavior of externally bonded FRP to concrete in strengthening applications, including a paper by Dai et al. on the dowel resistance between FRP sheets and concrete for application in the design of spalling prevention; the use of an innovative electronic speckle pattern interferometry technique to infer an interface bond-slip relationship by Cao et al., and a paper by Lu et al. on a novel finite-element model that considers the complex interfacial behavior to simulate the intermediate crack debonding process in beams.

These are followed by two papers on the intermediate crack debonding mechanism in FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete flexural members. The first, by Liu et al., is a parametric study of the intermediate crack debonding mechanism that is based on partial-interaction theory; and the second, by Smith and Gravina, is on predicting intermediate crack debonding failures by using a local deformation model.

Moving from the flexural behavior of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams, the next paper, by Ameli et al., presents an experimental and numerical analysis of reinforced concrete beams with FRP wraps under torsion.

The tenth paper, by Teng et al., presents an analysis-oriented stress-strain model for FRP-confined concrete for application in strengthening or seismic retrofitting of existing reinforced concrete columns. On the topic of seismic retrofit, the next paper, by Pampanin et al. discusses a performance-based seismic retrofit strategy for beam-column joints of existing reinforced concrete frames.

The last two papers of this special issue present field applications of FRP strengthening techniques on existing bridge structures. The first, by Täljsten et al., describes the strengthening scheme adopted for the Gröndals Bridge, a prestressed concrete box bridge in Sweden, and the ongoing monitoring. The final paper, by Mosallam, describes strengthening and monitoring some of the steel girders on the Sauvie Island Bridge.

As guest editor of this special issue, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the authors for all their efforts in preparing these papers and to thank the reviewers for their valuable contribution to ensure that a high standard is maintained. I must also acknowledge the immediate past president of the IIFC, Professor Jin-Guang Teng, for his continued support from when CICE 2004 was in the early stages of planning to the publication of this special issue. Finally, I am grateful for the patience and assistance provided by the editor of the Journal, Professor Charles Bakis and his assistant, Renee Lindenberg, as well as Jackie Perry at ASCE Headquarters, without whom this special issue would not have been possible.