Carbon reinforced concrete in Syria

Table of contents

1. 1. 1. Project data 
      2. Report from the annual report 2021
      3. Report from the annual report 2020

Project data 

Report from the annual report 2021

Carbon reinforced concrete in Syria

In the research project, the potential for the use of carbon reinforced concrete in Syria was analysed and recommendations for action as well as calculation algorithms, adapted to regional characteristics, were developed.

The structures in Syria are subject to, compared for example with those in Germany, partly deviating, special stresses that require both particular construction methods and a special way of dealing with the existing buildings. In concrete terms, these are, on the one hand, the natural action of earthquakes. On the other hand, a large part of the existing structures is stressed by extreme loads as a result of the war.

In Germany, a new building material has been the subject of intensive research, especially since the mid-1990s. Textile or carbon reinforced concrete (TRC and CRC, resp.) has many properties that are advantageous compared to conventional solid construction. Even thin, material-efficient layers are suitable for significantly increasing the load-bearing capacity or improving usability. This applies both to the static load case, but also to repeated suggestions. All of this makes textile or carbon concrete predestined for use in my home country.

At the Institute of Concrete Structures at the TU Dresden, there was the opportunity to work closely with outstanding experts in this field, to acquire extensive knowledge and at the same time to develop a concept for the use of TRC in structures damaged by war and earthquakes in Syria. In 2021, the focus was on the following working points:

• Summary of the most common damage patterns and deficits in the existing structure,
• Description of the strengthening measures commonly used in Syria on the basis of selected examples,
• Carrying out laboratory tests with carbon reinforced concrete to determine characteristic values,
• Comparisons between conventional methods of strengthening in Syria and strengthening with CRC,
• Finalisation of a repair and retrofitting concept for selected types of structures and damage,
• Supporting the concept by means of calculations and simulations, based on the test results from the laboratory

Finally, the calculation algorithms were supplemented with selected examples.

Report from the annual report 2020

Use of carbon reinforced concrete in Syria

Carbon reinforced concrete is a promising method of strengthening and thus maintaining damaged or insufficiently load-bearing structures. In the project, the potential for the use of carbon concrete in Syria is analyzed and recommendations for action as well as calculation algorithms, adapted to regional characteristics, are developed.

The structures in Syria are subject to, compared for example with those in Germany, partly deviating, special stresses that require both special construction methods and special handling of the existing building. Specifically, on the one hand, it is the natural action of earthquakes. On the other hand, a large part of the existing structures is stressed by extreme loads as a result of the war.

Mainly in Germany a new building material has been researched for around 20 years. Textile or carbon reinforced concrete has many properties that give it advantages over conventional solid construction. Even thin, material-efficient layers are suitable for significantly increasing the load-bearing capacity or improving usability. This applies both to the static load case, but also to repeated suggestions. All of this makes textile or carbon concrete predestined for use in my home country.

At the TU Dresden, I would have the opportunity to work closely with outstanding experts in this field, to acquire extensive knowledge and at the same time to develop a concept for the use of textile concrete in structures damaged by war and earthquakes in Syria.

The following topics were in the focus of research until now:

• Analysis of the building stock in Syria and compilation of the likely most frequent damage patterns or deficits in the existing building,
• Development of repair and upgrading concepts for selected types of structures and damage, based on the test results obtained from ongoing tests at the OML of the TU Dresden.

In the future, various parameters concerning the underlay of these concepts are to be further processed through calculations/simulations and, if necessary, experiments in the laboratory.