Carbon Fiber Composite

Carbon fiber composite is a material made of thin strands of carbon woven or aligned and bound in a resin matrix, offering an exceptionally high strength-to-weight ratio, considerably greater than steel or fiberglass composite, at correspondingly higher cost. Developed for aerospace applications from the 1960s onward, its architectural use has been comparatively limited given its expense, but it has been adopted for structural reinforcement of existing masonry and concrete, for lightweight long-span roof and bridge elements, and for prestige facade and structural accents where minimal weight or slenderness is the design priority.