Prediction of Long-Term Performance and Durability of BFRP Bars under the Combined Effect of Sustained Load and Corrosive Solutions
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 19, Issue 3
Abstract
Unlike carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars and the maturely developed glass FRP (GFRP) bars, the long-term performance of the newly developed basalt-fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars under severe environmental conditions remains unclear. This paper evaluates the residual tensile properties of unstressed and stressed BFRP bars exposed to four types of simulated harsh environments: alkaline solution, salt solution, acid solution, and de-ionized water at 25, 40, and 55°C. Microstructural analysis using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was also conducted to reveal the inherent degradation mechanism of BFRP bars in alkaline environment. The residual tensile strength of unstressed BFRP bars exposed to alkaline solution was used for long-term performance prediction based on Arrhenius theory. The results showed that the effect on the durability of BFRP bars exposed to acid, salt, and deionized water was less than that for bars exposed to alkaline solution. The effects of sustained stress on the degradation of BFRP bars were not obvious when the stress level was less than 20% of the ultimate strength, but if the stress exceeded this level, the degradation processes were accelerated. The predicted exposure time required for a reduction in strength of 50% at a mean annual temperature of 5.7°C in alkaline solution, which represents an area with a northern latitude of 50°, was estimated at approximately 16.1 years for the 6-mm BFRP bar.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this research was provided by the National Program on Key Basic Research (Project No. 2012CB026200), the National “Twelfth Five-Year” Plan for Science and Technology (Project Nos. 2011BAB03B09 and 2012BAK24B03), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Project No. BK2010015), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Project No. CXLXB-100).
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 19 • Issue 3 • June 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 25, 2014
Accepted: Jul 9, 2014
Published online: Aug 27, 2014
Discussion open until: Jan 27, 2015
Published in print: Jun 1, 2015
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