Dr. Shamim Sheikh at University of Toronto and Dr. Umesh Sharma at IIT Roorkee are launching a new demonstration of their innovative infrastructure material.
The objective of the demonstration is to rehabilitate and extend the life of corroded columns and monitor the results over time. Corrosion of reinforced steel in concrete is a significant global issue. In Canada, many structures corrode over time due to explore to chloride (from deicing structures during the winter months). In India on the other hand, high levels of carbonation in the atmosphere is a main driver of corrosion in concrete structures.
Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRPs) is a material that is corrosion-resistant, is three times stronger than steel, and can be used to reinforce columns, bridges, and buildings. Since the application of GFRPs does not require the removal of corroded steel or concrete, the cost of repairing a structure is significantly reduced.
Dr. Sheikh’s research team applied GFRPs to bridge columns under Toronto’s Highway 1 over Leslie Street and reduced the risk of corrosion by 80%. The team is now working on a demonstration of the repair material at a reverse osmosis plant in Gujarat, India.
GFRPs will be applied to 2 columns in the plant desperately needed for repair. The team estimates that the entire repair cost will be less than 50% than traditional repair methods, and will reduce the risk of corrosion from “very high” to “low.”
With both Canada and India facing daunting levels of infrastructure in need in repair, international, collaborative projects like this have a significant role in translating knowledge and outcomes from both countries to help tackle the shared challenge.
2024 IC-IMPACTS Conference in Delhi December 9 - 11, 2024 New Delhi, India
