Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) make their way in various fields from aerospace to mechanical and civil engineering applications.  Hybrid systems and materials where original material is reinforced or enhanced with FRP are increasingly used in civil engineering, where wood (a lignocellulosic, organic material) and concrete (inorganic material with cement containing various silicates, aluminates, and oxides) are substrates being reinforced.  Both materials are hygroscopic and porous and this makes the bond (may or may not be via adhesion) extremely challenging.  In addition, biodegradability of wood, concrete alkalinity, heterogeneity, and properties variability are additional variables that must be considered.

As with any combination of various materials, where strain compatibility is required, the properties of the interface under various loading conditions are critical for overall performance of the system.  These include but are not limited to: creep and mechano-sorptive creep, chemical degradation of the interface, effects of temperature, water-vapor pressure, load history and combination of thereof.  These fundamental mechanisms (often described as degradation) are, to the large extent, unknown or only partially explained.

This Special Issue of journal attempts to address the state-of-the-art in research in the area of hybrid systems with special focus on fundamental properties of fiber-reinforced plastic – porous, hygroscopic material interface such as wood-FRP or concrete-FRP, their performance and durability under effects of loads and interaction with the environment.

Prof. Dr. Bohumil Kasal
Prof. Li-Bo Yan
Guest Editors

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• hygroscopic porous materials
• interface
• adhesion
• fiber reinforced polymer
• concrete
• wood
• lignocellulosic material
• hybrid systems
• effects of time
• temperature
• load history and environment