• Structural Shapes
  FRP can be made into constant cross-section structural shapes, such as W-sections and tube sections, through the pultrusion process of manufacturing. Almost any shape, or combination of shapes, can be created with the pultrusion process. Pultruded structural shapes have good strength characteristics, are very light, require little or no maintenance, and can be erected easily and quickly.
• Concrete Reinforcing
  FRP has all of the major requirements to provide adequate tensile and compression reinforcing in concrete structures, but eliminates many of the poor qualities of standard steel. It can be used in applications requiring reinforcing in one, two, or three dimensions, although pultrusion can only be used to create one-dimensional reinforcing. The other types of configurations are developed by weaving mats of fibers, impregnating them with resin, and then curing the resin.

Carbon 3-D Fabric, developed by Kajima (above), was used in the curtain-wall panels of the Sea Fort Square building in Japan's demanding coastal environment.

• Prestressing and Post-Tensioning Tendons
  Generally, concrete has been prestressed and post-tensioned with high-strength steel cables to help it resist tensile stresses, reduce cracking and deflections. However, FRP has many characteristics that make it a better candidate for the tendons in concrete structures compared to steel, including high tensile strength, flexibility with regard to size and shape, light weight, and corrosion resistance. Especially, since FRP does not suffer any adverse affects from exposure to environmental factors, the post-tensioning can be greatly simplified by allowing the cables to reside outside of the structure itself. With this change, the concrete will not have to accommodate post-tensioning ducts thus reducing concrete fabrication time, and the process of installing the cables is much simpler. Some characteristics that may make it a poor candidate for this application are not fully understood, but could include low modulus of elasticity, creep, and fatigue. If FRP is to become widespread as reinforcement, these issues must be addressed and resolved.
• Pre-Engineered Structural Systems
  FRP can be used to create structural systems that have enough strength to resist service loads, and can decrease life-cycle costs as compared with traditional materials. Especially, the components can be manufactured off-site, significantly reducing on-site construction time and increasing quality control. Using the pultrusion process, manufacturers can create almost any constant-cross section shape they like, allowing them to be creative with the structural members and connections they use. Typically, these systems are unique to the designer and manufacturer, as no standards have been developed for these systems.