Hybrid and Bio-Based FRP for Next-Generation Infrastructure Systems: Rethinking Durability, Delivery and Lifecycle Performance

Abstract

The ageing stock of infrastructure, climate pressure, labour shortage, and rising lifecycle cost are further compounded by the infrastructure crisis. Traditional solutions, where one structural substance is substituted with another, are symptomatic, but not causal. The review presents an argument that hybrid and bio-based fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are not just better in terms of the material they are made of, but also a catalyst for a systemic change in infrastructure delivery and lifecycle management. It is based on synthesising evidence of bridge engineering, rehabilitation practice, structural testing, and the emerging field of bio-based constituents in the review that how material architecture (specifically the strategic combination of concrete, steel, FRP, and bio-based constituents) can redefine design logic, construction speed, maintenance intervals, and end-of-life strategy can be evaluated. The analysis demonstrates that hybrid FRP systems will always have a superior performance as opposed to single-material systems in conditions with the critical of durability, but such systems are not yet widely adopted due to material-centric codes, procurement structures, and the lack of system-level lifecycle frameworks. Bio-based FRP is demonstrated to be an up-and-coming alternative to controlled-degradation and circular-economy applications, but there is limited evidence in the field in the long run. This paper recommends a strategic roadmap - covering both near-term pilot projects and a two-decade codification and ecosystem vision - and identifies practical governance, research and design practice reforms to bridge the gap between laboratory performance and impact on the scale of an infrastructure. Direct collaboration with procurement agencies and regulators would enable the development of actionable policy guidance capable of supporting broader implementation of hybrid FRP technologies in public infrastructure projects.