Project Reference

In critical facilities like hospitals, the structural integrity of the building is a matter of life safety. The administration of OSPA-Farmers Medical Center in Ormoc City, Leyte, recognized the need to bolster their existing columns to meet updated load and strength requirements. Adopting the philosophy that "it's better to be safe than sorry," they sought a retrofitting solution that could upgrade the building's capacity without the invasive and heavy traditional methods.

The primary challenge was finding a method that provided maximum strength with minimum disruption to hospital operations. Traditional concrete jacketing—which involves drilling, adding heavy steel rebars, and pouring new concrete layers—would have been too heavy, dusty, and time-consuming for a functioning medical center.

The Solution: Buildrite Carbon Fiber System

By choosing Buildrite Carbon Fiber Fabric, the medical center utilized an advanced engineering solution that offers "external reinforcement."

Why the Carbon Fiber System was the Strategic Choice for a Medical Center:
• Extreme Tensile Performance: With a tensile strength of 120,000 psi, the carbon fiber fabric acts as a high-strength "brace" around the columns. This prevents lateral expansion and significantly increases the column's compressive strength and load-bearing capacity.
• Lightweight Armor: Unlike steel and concrete, carbon fiber is incredibly light. It strengthens the structure without adding dead load, ensuring the foundation isn't overstressed by the retrofitting itself.
• Non-Invasive Installation: The fabric is laminated to the existing concrete using Buildrite Carbon Fiber Laminating Epoxy. Because the system is thin and lightweight, it requires no heavy machinery, saving the hospital significant costs in labor and time.
• Corrosion Resistance: In a tropical environment like Leyte, carbon fiber offers a distinct advantage over steel because it is immune to corrosion, ensuring the reinforcement remains effective for decades.
• Technical Performance: The Buildrite Carbon Fiber Laminating Epoxy ensures a monolithic bond between the fabric and the concrete. This creates a "confinement" effect, which is highly effective for seismic retrofitting—a crucial factor for infrastructure in the Philippines.

By prioritizing safety through modern technology, OSPA-Farmers Medical Center successfully reinforced their structure, ensuring that their facility remains a safe haven for patients and healthcare providers in Ormoc City.