As engineers become increasingly aware of accidental or intentional out-of-plane loading on structural elements resulting from impact, new retrofit methods to protect critical infrastructure are emerging and being implemented. This paper aims at conducting a state-of-the-art review of retrofit strategies available to engineers to protect vulnerable concrete structural elements from impact loading. One method is to implement a barrier between the impactor and the structural element. Overheight vehicle impacts and the use of energy absorbing materials (EAM) to resist them are discussed. Also, the use of fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs), both thermoset and thermoplastic, for impact protection is investigated.
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