Carbon - Fiber

For repairing or reinforcing concrete and foundation repair, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer fabric – a specialized plastic that becomes rigid and stronger than structural steel – is greener, easier and quicker to apply, takes less-skilled labor, adds less weight to a building and is often more corrosion-resistant than traditional methods

The most common signs of foundation problems


* Diagonal cracks in interior wall finishes at the corners of doors and windows.
* Cracks at the intersection of walls and ceilings, and at the intersection of wall surfaces.
* Doors that bind or do not open or close properly.
* Windows bind or do not open or close properly.
* Un-level floors.
* Cracks in exterior brick, concrete, or masonry.
* Cracks in the concrete perimeter beam.
* Separations of wood trim at the exterior corners of your home.


Bowed Basement Walls

A Bowed Basement or Foundation Walls can occur as a result of soil loads pushing against the wall. Compounded with depth and other factors and the lateral forces surpass the foundation's original resistance to these loads. Over time, these factors can produce lateral bending and the foundation or basement wall becomes bowed. This condition also produces significant cracking. If left unattended this condition will worsen with time jeopardizing both the structural integrity and resale value of the property.


Fixing Bowed Basement and Foundation Walls

A Bowed basement or foundation wall can be straightened but require excavation of foundation, lifting the weight of the structure off of the wall and pushing the wall back to as close to plumb as possible. Even after this is accomplished, the wall itself has lost the structural integrity and requires reinforcement. You can also reinforce a concrete wall that is still within tolerance at it's current condition without straightening. Historically, I-beams were used to correct a bowed wall by erecting the beams in a fashion that provides lateral concrete reinforcement. While remaining an effective method, installation can be expensive and the end result are obtrusive beams sticking out from the wall. In addition, the cracks which have undoubtedly occurred as a result are not addressed.
Bowed basement walls can be resolved using the latest carbon-fiber technology . Using carbon-fiber kevlar sheet straps in combination with specifically designed epoxies, foundations can now be repaired and arrested with little to no obtrusiveness. The repaired bowed basement wall can then be painted thereby creating an almost invisible repair, thereby increasing the resale value of your home.

Will carbon fiber straighten a wall?

A. The simple answer is no, and most ways of straightening walls require excavation.Tie-backs may, over a period of time, straighten walls to a certain degree. Tie-backs tend to creep or loosen and may punch through and twist a masonry wall when tightened. So the required tightening of tie-backs every 6 months is adjusting the grip that can loosen. The lamination of carbon fiber will hold the wall in it's current deflection or can be applied after straightening to hold the wall in place and strengthen the foundation.


The walls move thermally with the seasons. Cracks opening in the winter and closing
in the summer. How does this affect the carbon fiber?

A. By tuck pointing all cracks at the time of carbon fiber lamination, will assure a wedge when the wall attempts to hinge. Tuck pointing material goes into compression not allowing the wall to move outward, while the laminated carbon fiber will not allow the wall to move inward.

Is the Carbon Fiber Reinforcement in the Building Code?

A. Yes. However the original ICBO codes are and have been changing based on new codes and ACI 440 Technical Guidelines. Therefore only a very few manufacturers have across the board approval. This is actually a good thing as our systems have upgraded dramatically over the last seven years, so approvals are based on outdated systems. All Fortress products are manufactured and meet ACI Guidelines as well as ASTM Standards.