As a leader and innovator in specialty construction, Structural Preservation Systems has worked to help develop a new line of strengthening products: Hardwire® steel reinforced polymer (SRP) composites. Hardwire is a family of reinforcements made from ultra-high strength twisted steel wires - 11 times stronger than a typical steel plate. Hardwire, available from VSL, affords end-users the ability to easily reinforce the interior and/or the exterior of a structure, making it ideal for upgrades to steel, wood, or concrete structures in both new construction and retrofit applications. In building applications, Hardwire provides high strength (up to 8 kips/in) and high modulus (up to 12M psi) in a very thin, ductile envelope.
Structural Preservation Systems has installed Hardwire for structural strengthening and upgrades and for fortification of facilities for blast-resistance. Hardwire is produced at a small fraction of the cost of typical aramid and carbon reinforcements since composites made from Hardwire are up to 70 percent thinner and 25 percent lighter than composites made with glass fibers. The innovative system uses high-strength steel wires twisted together to form reinforcing steel cords. Hardwire may be used on the sides of beams and girders to provide additional shear strength or wrapped around columns and beam/column joints to provide confinement and additional ductility that in turn provide additional flexural strength. The material may also be used on structural steel shapes to increase their tension and bending capacity.
Features and Benefits:
- High Tensile Strength
- Lightweight
- Corrosion Resistant
- Installs Quickly
- No Heavy Equipment Required for Installation
- Maintains Aesthetics of the Structure
Composites Applications:
- Shear Capacity Improvement
- Flexural Capacity Improvement
- Compression Capacity Improvement
- Blast Mitigation
- Seismic Upgrades
- Crack Control
- New Slab Penetrations