Modern composite materials based on non-metallic continuous fibres are increasingly used in civil engineering to strengthen building structures. In the strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures, the utilisation of externally bonded fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is only up to 35% because of the pilling-off failure mechanism. This problem can be solved using pre-tensioned composite laminates. Due to more complex behaviour, the strengthening of structures by means of prestressing technology needs a careful design approach and a full understanding of the behaviour of both the materials and elements. The advantages and risks of the presented technology, which may determine the success of the entire project, will be highlighted in the paper. The possibility of using a flexible adhesive layer in carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthening applications for flexural strengthening of RC elements, as an innovative solution in civil engineering, will also be presented. Parallel introduction of the flexible adhesive layer (made of polyurethane masses) and a traditional epoxy adhesive layer in one strengthening system was investigated in the laboratory tests. This solution was used for the repair and protection of a previously damaged RC beam against brittle failure.
Keywords: FRP; adhesives; anchorages; galvanic corrosion; material properties; strengthening.