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Carbon-fibre structural strengthening

Adding capacity to concrete that is already standing — without demolition, without meaningful added dead load, and without losing headroom.

AGIAL is a Fosroc-certified applicator. The technique is newly established in the Egyptian market; it has been in structural use internationally since the 1990s and is codified in ACI 440.2R and fib Bulletin 14.

The bonded system

Seven layers, typically 2–4 mm total. The carbon does the work; everything around it exists to transfer load into the fibre and protect it.

  1. 1

    Concrete substrate

    Ground back to sound material, laitance removed, profile and moisture verified.

  2. 2

    Crack injection

    Where cracks exist, they are injected first — strengthening over a live crack fails.

  3. 3

    Primer

    Penetrates and seals the prepared surface.

  4. 4

    Levelling putty

    Fills pinholes and takes out surface irregularity so the sheet beds evenly.

  5. 5

    Saturant

    The structural adhesive. This is the layer that transfers load.

  6. 6

    Carbon sheet or laminate

    Unidirectional fibre laid in the direction of the tensile demand.

  7. 7

    Protective coating

    UV and fire protection to the specified rating.

When a consultant specifies it

  • Flexural or shear deficiency found on assessment
  • Added or changed loading — new plant, an extra floor, heavier traffic
  • Change of building use
  • Reinforcement lost to corrosion
  • Column confinement, or new openings cut through slabs
  • Seismic retrofit

Against the alternatives

Why CFRP

  • Adds almost no dead load — the structure does not carry its own fix
  • No loss of clear height or floor area, unlike jacketing
  • Does not corrode, unlike bonded steel plate
  • Fast: no formwork, no curing programme, building often stays in use

Its limits, stated plainly

  • Needs a sound substrate — it will not rescue disintegrating concrete
  • Needs fire protection; the resin loses strength at temperature
  • No answer to a structure failing in compression
  • Only as good as the bond, which is why the QA below matters more than the certificate

Quality assurance

Substrate testing
Pull-off tests on the prepared concrete before any material goes down.
Adhesion testing
Pull-off on the cured system to the specified minimum, by zone.
Thickness verification
Laminate and saturant thickness checked and logged against the design.
Handover file
Batch records, ambient conditions, test results, as-built layout.

For an assessment, send us

  1. Structural drawings — general arrangement and reinforcement details
  2. The loading case: what it carries now and what it must carry
  3. Photographs of the affected members, close and in context
  4. Any existing condition or assessment report
Request a service

Send us the problem and a photograph.

Most enquiries are answered the same day. Send the problem with a photograph, or look through the services first.