THE PRESERV ATION OF HISTORICAL MASONRY HERITAGE STRUCTURES USING ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS

In the last two decades advanced composites ( Fiber Reinforced Polymers ) or FRP materials have gained worldwide acceptance for structural strengthening . Because of their attractive advantages, FRP materials are very appealing to be used for retrofitting heritage structures . The causes of degradation of historical structures include environmental degradation, displacements such are those from foundation movement , overloading caused mainly by seismic actions. Historical structures are usually lacking the design for lateral loads which makes them in need of retrofitting . Some of the salient features of composite materials include very high tensile strength to weight ratio. The light weight of FRP helps in maintaining the seismic properti es of the structure. This review paper highlights the most important items that must be considered when rehabilitating historical structures . In this paper some selected FRP strengthened heritage structu res are presented located in different places around the world in Egypt , Greece, Italy , Portugal, Peru and USA . Each case presents a unique intervention philosophy and different utilization of FR P materials in restoration work . S tructural safety considering preservation guidelines to keep the historical valu e of the structure. Some of the key aspects concerning this effective structural strengthening method, are preserving the aesthetic of the structure through minimum invasiveness and reverseability , material compatibility and lo ng term performance and optimal material selection . Although multiple field applications for strengthening heritage masonry structures with FRP currently exist, there is still an urgent need for extensive systematic investigations of rehabilitation of heritage structures and for establishing standardized guidelines and techniques for maintenance and rehabilitation of cultural heritage.