Carbon Fiber Strengthening for Slab Embed Pullout Failure

A structural repair challenge emerged on a high-rise condominium in Denver, CO when engineers identified cracking around embedded plates along the edge of a 27" post-tensioned slab. These cracks raised concerns about the confinement of the existing embeds, and drilling new 2–7/8" threaded rods risked striking rebar or worsening the damage. The contractor reached out to Structural Reinforcement Solutions (SRS) to provide a reliable composite strengthening method that would restore confinement and control crack propagation.

SRS engineers specified SRS-660BI bidirectional carbon fiber to wrap and confine the affected slab zones. This composite reinforcement layer ensured that once cured, anchors could be drilled safely without concern for additional cracking or loss of embed performance. The system also added an extra factor of safety should future rebar interference require holes to be re-drilled. After installation, a diamond-tipped hole saw was used to cleanly penetrate the cured CFRP layers for anchor placement.

Despite a tight timeline, SRS secured design approval, shipped materials overnight, and had authorized installers onsite within days. The completed CFRP confinement allowed the contractor to continue the project without delays and provided a long-term strengthening solution for the slab’s embedded connections.