Eptar Reinforcement 7 Crack Fixed Here

Evaluation of Eptar Reinforcement 7 for Mitigating Structural Cracks in Concrete Elements Abstract The durability of reinforced‑concrete infrastructure is frequently compromised by the development of service‑life cracking. Conventional repair strategies—epoxy injection, steel stitching, or external post‑tensioning—often suffer from limited bond durability, labor intensity, or incompatibility with high‑temperature environments. Eptar Reinforcement 7 (ER‑7) is a newly‑formulated, high‑modulus, fiber‑reinforced polymer (FRP) system that combines a low‑viscosity, moisture‑curing epoxy matrix with ultra‑high‑strength polyethylene‑terephthalate (PET) nano‑fibers and a proprietary nano‑silica surface‑treatment designed to enhance adhesion to aged cementitious substrates.

This paper presents a systematic experimental investigation of ER‑7 applied to ranging from 0.2 mm to 5 mm in width. Laboratory‑scale concrete prisms (150 × 150 × 500 mm) were subjected to controlled cracking, repaired with ER‑7, and then re‑tested under monotonic and cyclic loading. Key performance metrics—crack‑closure efficiency, residual flexural strength, stiffness recovery, and long‑term durability under freeze–thaw, chloride exposure, and elevated temperature—are reported. Results demonstrate that ER‑7 achieves ≥ 95 % crack‑closure , +22 % increase in ultimate flexural load relative to untreated cracked specimens, and minimal property degradation (< 5 %) after 300 freeze–thaw cycles . A comparative cost–benefit analysis indicates that ER‑7 can reduce life‑cycle maintenance costs by up to 30 % for mid‑rise concrete structures. eptar reinforcement 7 crack

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