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I've recently noticed that I have several long horizontal cracks in my basement foundation - likely caused by steady hydrostatic pressure (I live in a cold and wet climate in a 100~ year old house). In researching ways to reinforce the foundation, the foremost method offered by many foundation repair companies seems to be epoxying carbon fiber "straps" along the wall, putting a vertical band of 5.5 in~ wide carbon fiber strips every three feet or so in the wall - sometimes anchoring it in in a nonspecific way that seems to differ by company.

The problem is, I'm having a hard time validating if this reinforcement actually is proven to work. I err towards believing it due to it's widespread use and liken it to a ratchet strap at the back of a trailer, though some people I've talked to (and random claims online) seem to think it's bunk - akin to putting a big piece of tape on the wall.

I've tried to find scholarly research on the subject but I've struggled to find anything (at least anything that I can make heads or tails of - structural engineering gets quite complex very quickly for a non-engineer).

Any knowledgeable input would be appreciated. Thank you!

PropertyBrother
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The process is valid. I have used epoxy designed to retrofit old buildings for earthquake resistance for decades. Usually they perform better than the original concrete.

In US there are reputable companies that do this and they have been tested and licensed by ACI. Preparation is very important in these kind of jobs. Also some epoxies don’t work well if exposed to high heat.

You want to ask the contractor for guarantee or bond.

kamran
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Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) is very definitely a structural material.

Bonding CFRP strips to an existing surface will add tensile capacity to that face. Within projects I've worked on, I've seen CFRP wrapped around bridge piers (or "columns" you might call them) to increase their resistance to vehicle strikes.

So there is definitely an engineering use case. As to whether they'll be useful for your foundation... well, it depends whether you need extra tensile capacity in the direction they'd be placed. I can't answer that for you over the internet. You may need to employ an engineer.

AndyT
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