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Seismic Retrofit with FRP Systems

Strengthening Structures. Preserving History. Saving Lives.

At QuakeWrap®, seismic retrofit is not just a service—it is the foundation of our company. In fact, our name was born from one of the earliest innovations in earthquake engineering: wrapping carbon fiber fabrics around damaged columns to restore and enhance their seismic performance.

Following the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, our team pioneered the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) systems to repair and strengthen bridge columns that had suffered severe damage. That innovation became known as “QuakeWrap”—and it revolutionized the way engineers approach seismic retrofit.

Seismic upgrade or retrofit of structures with FRP products is a field that was pioneered by Prof. Ehsani in the early 1990s. These studies were the first such projects funded by the US National Science Foundation to examine the performance of bridge piers and Unreinforced Masonry (URM) walls retrofitted with FRP. Columns, for example, can be wrapped in FRP fabric or our patented PileMedic® jackets. This will provide confinement, increase axial, flexural and shear capacity and enhance the ductility of the column. URM walls can be upgraded to resist significant flexure and shear loading. The FRP can also confine the brick or masonry elements, keeping them from dismantling in an earthquake.

Brick wall damaged by earthquake to be repaired with FRP
Shear failure of unreinforced masonry walls caused by earthquake can be easily prevented with FRP
Strengthening the boundary elements for seismic retrofit of McKinley Tower, Anchorage AK
Strengthening the boundary elements for seismic retrofit of McKinley Tower, Anchorage AK
Seismic retrofit of the roof at Natural History Museum with carbon FRP- The old weak roof had to be repaired first before FRP could be applied; Los Angeles, CA
Seismic retrofit of the roof at Natural History Museum with carbon FRP- The old weak roof had to be repaired first before FRP could be applied; Los Angeles, CA
Among the first tilt-up wall buildings retrofitted with FRP was the Mitsubishi Corp, Southern California
Among the first tilt-up wall buildings retrofitted with FRP was the Mitsubishi Corp, Southern California

QuakeWrap engineers can provide seismic design alternatives using FRP products. The number of layers, orientation of fibers, anchorage, etc. for all structural elements such as walls, columns, beams, floors, etc. will be calculated and presented to the owners as sealed drawings.

Features & Benefits

Advantages of seismic retrofit or upgrade with FRP include:

  • Walls, floors, beams and columns can be retrofitted with FRP
  • Minimal increase in member size (typically ½ inch (13 mm))
  • Repairs are fast and economical
  • Finished installation can be coated, making it hardly visible
  • Our proprietary PileMedic® may offer additional time and cost savings