Structural applications for Civil Engineering are generally unknown and pass unnoticed because of the similar aspect to traditional materials and the discreetness of great civil works. However, there is a big hope of development in bridges for roads or railways because of the age of a majority of works, the corrosion problems and the necessary maintenance.
Composites are particularly adapted to structural applications and are easy to use for repairing of traditional works.
Structural is an undefined term that covers a broad range of mechanical loadings from light stresses such as those applied to bonnets, bodies, housings for equipment protection or soundproof walls to very high stresses applied to rods for bridges.
To satisfy these different situations, Civil engineering uses neat plastics or composites:
* Commonly for light structural applications.
* Sometimes for "niche" applications
* Exceptionally for heavy structural applications such as bridges.
Generally, the raw material cost is much higher for composites than for metals.