Italian design guidelines for the strengthening of existing civil constructions using externally bonded fibre-reinforced polymers

A series of regulatory documents were issued by the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy on the use of FRP for strengthening existing civil constructions. These documents, described in more details in the paper, set for the first time in Italy some standards for production, design and application of FRP for reinforced concrete, masonry, timber and metallic constructions. They are also conceived with an informative and educational spirit, which is crucial for the dissemination, in the professional sphere, of the mechanical and technological knowledge needed for an aware and competent use of such materials. The documents are the result of a remarkable joint effort of almost all professors and researchers involved in this emerging and promising field, from 15 Italian universities, of the technical managers of major production and application companies, and of the representatives of public and private companies that use FRP for strengthening artifacts. Thus, the resulting FRP codes naturally incorporate the experience and knowledge gained in ten years of studies, researches and applications of FRP in Italy.