Interviews / 7/11/2025

Cutting edge technologies and tools for structural strengthening work on sports facilities

Interviewee

Giuseppe Melcangi

Corporate product manager, Structural strengthening line, Mapei Group

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials are now among the most advanced solutions for the structural strengthening of existing buildings, such as sports facilities. Thanks to their light weight, tensile strength, and durability even in harsh environments, they enable effective, fast, and low-impact interventions. We talk about the company offer with Giuseppe Melcangi, Product Manager for Mapei Structural Strengthening Line.

What are the advantages of using polymer matrix composite materials (FRP) for structural strengthening work on buildings, such as sports arenas?

Fibre-reinforced composite materials (FRP) are high performance materials which, thanks to their excellent weight-specific mechanical properties, optimum fatigue behaviour and high degree of flexibility from a design perspective, are chosen for their low architectural impact and, above all, because they are able to withstand the typically high tensile loads found in public structures.

FRP composite materials are used nowadays by the construction sector for the majority of structural strengthening interventions thanks to their versatility, the lower amount of time required to carry out work and their resistance to environmental factors, including those of an aggressive nature.

A moment of the application of the MapeWrap C UNI AX reinforcement system.

Which Mapei solutions are the most appropriate for strengthening existing reinforced concrete or steel structures, such as sports arenas?

For existing structures requiring structural retrofitting, the first step is to understand the level of homogeneity of the structure to be strengthened in order not to modify the overall behaviour of the structure while working on the weak element.

The materials typically used in this phase are relatively thin, such as MapeWrap uni-directional or multi-directional carbon fibre fabrics and Carboplate pultruded carbon fibre plates.

This approach allows us to propose effective, long-lasting solutions, in that FRP composites do not deteriorate, even in aggressive environments, and are characterised by their higher level of durability, which means lower maintenance costs for those responsible for the upkeep of the infrastructure.

The interior of the Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal after completion of the structural reinforcement work.

How can Mapei Structural Design software help simplify the design and implementation of this type of structural strengthening work?

Mapei makes their know-how openly available, the result of years of hands-on experience and considerable investments into research, by means of a specific calculation tool. Thanks to Mapei Structural Design, accurate and reliable calculations are carried out for structural strengthening projects. Available free of charge on the Mapei website the program can be used on PCs, tablets or smartphones without having to install it. The program itself is designed to simplify the work of professionals and operators from the sector, enabling them to calibrate and identify the most suitable strengthening system for each specific case. Calculations carried out by Mapei Structural Design, in fact, are based on the latest international reference standards and a design can be modified or reviewed on site, at any time, from a smartphone or tablet.