Project Acronym: RELIABLE-FRP
Project Title: Definição de metodologias de fiabilidade para o dimensionamento de estruturas FRP
Responsible @ACMEC: Nuno Silvestre
Participants @IST: José Gonilha, André Martins, João Lazzari, Yuyi Ye (IDMEC), Angelo Teixeira (ACEAN), João Ramoa Correia, Carlos Serutti (CERIS-IST/ID)
Other partners: Thomas Keller (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Luis Neves (The University of Nottingham)
Funding Institution: FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
Project Reference: PTDC/ECI-EGC/3916/2021
Funding: 245 k€ (Total) 152 k€ (IDMEC)
Duration: 48 months, starting January 2022, ending December 2025

Summary:
RELIABLE-FRP addresses the development of probabilistic-based design guidelines for FRP structures and connections, thus contributing to a safer, more economic and sustainable use of FRP structures in mechanical, civil and maritime engineering. Recent efforts have been put forth towards an FRP Eurocode, through the European Committee for Standardization Working Group 4 (CEN WG4 TC250). Two significant gaps were identified: (i) the mechanical variability of these materials is still poorly characterized; and (ii) current resistance model uncertainties are yet to be quantified for many structural cases.The main objective of RELIABLE-FRP is to solve these gaps.

Expected results:

1. Open access database of experimental results for a wide variety of FRP members and connections.

2. Advanced knowledge on the mechanical variability of several key FRP properties.

3. Appropriate partial factors derived from structural reliability analyses, contributing to safer, more economic and sustainable FRP structures.

4. Reliable design guidelines for a variety of structural cases, providing a solid basis for the new generation of FRP design codes.