CFRP has become an important material in structural engineering applications.

It has academically studied its potential benefits in construction and has proven its own cost-effectiveness in many field applications. These areas are used to reinforce concrete, masonry, steel, cast iron and wood structures. Its industrial use can be either refurbishment to reinforce existing structures, or alternative reinforcement (or prestressed) materials that replace steel from the beginning of the project.

Renovation has become an increasingly dominant use of materials in civil engineering, and its applications include increasing the carrying capacity of old structures (such as bridges) designed to withstand much lower service loads than today, earthquake reconstruction, and repairing damaged structures.

In many cases, refurbishment is popular because the cost of replacing defective structures can greatly exceed the cost of using CFRP for reinforcement.

CFRP can also enhance the shear strength of reinforced concrete by wrapping fabrics or fibers around the part to be reinforced. Wrapping around the cross section (such as bridges or building columns) can also enhance the ductility of the cross section, thereby greatly improving the collapse resistance under the action of seismic loads.

This "seismic retrofit" is the main application in earthquake-prone areas because it is more economical than alternative methods.