Characterization and Comparative Durability Study of Glass/Vinylester, Basalt/Vinylester, and Basalt/Epoxy FRP Bars
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 19, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper presents an experimental study that investigated the physical, mechanical, and durability characteristics of three different types of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars made of basalt and glass fibers with vinylester and epoxy resins, namely basalt/vinylester (B/V) FRP bars, glass/vinylester (G/V) FRP bars, and basalt/epoxy (B/E) FRP bars. First, their physical and mechanical properties were assessed. Then, a comparative durability study was performed on the three types of FRP bars under alkaline exposure simulating a concrete environment. The alkaline exposure was achieved by immersing the bars in an alkaline solution for up to 5,000 h at 60°C. Thereafter, the properties were assessed and compared with the unconditioned (reference) values. The test parameters were (1) fiber type (basalt or glass); (2) resin type (vinylester or epoxy); and (3) conditioning time (1,000, 3,000, and 5,000 h). The test results reveal that the G/V composite had the best physical and mechanical properties and lowest degradation rate after conditioning in alkaline solution. The B/E composite ranked second, while the B/V composite evidenced the lowest physical and mechanical properties and exhibited significant degradation of its physical and mechanical properties after conditioning.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)—NSERC/Industry and Canada Research Chairs Programs, and the Fonds de la recherche du Quebec en nature et technologies (FRQ-NT). The authors would like to thank the technical staff of the structural & materials lab in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Sherbrooke.
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Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 19 • Issue 6 • December 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 16, 2014
Accepted: Jan 2, 2015
Published online: Feb 12, 2015
Discussion open until: Jul 12, 2015
Published in print: Dec 1, 2015
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