ABSTRACT
Polymers have found at an ever-increasing rate their places in the engineering world. Nowadays, polymers are used in civil structures, automobiles, aircrafts, and even kitchen appliances. This expansion of applications of polymers has come at the expense of often heavier materials, such as steel, die cast, and aluminum alloys. It is not surprising that polymers themselves have evolved over time and represent a current popular research area. In this chapter, we look at special types of polymers, electroactive polymers (EAPs), that have some interesting features and a lot of promise for future applications not only in civil engineering but also in other fields of engineering. As these polymers find their way into the daily engineering world, it is important that civil engineering practitioners have basic understanding of these materials. We will highlight properties of a few selected EAPs and provide some key performance data. In addition, we attempt to provide a glimpse into the future and forecast potential applications civil engineering practitioners may find in the near future.
