Effects of exposure in seawater sea-sand concrete pore solution on fatigue performance of carbon FRP bars

Abstract

The study aims to propose a methodology to predict the fatigue performance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars under the seawater sea-sand concrete (SWSSC) environment. The effects of exposure in SWSSC pore solution on the fatigue damage mechanisms and fatigue performance of CFRP bars are presented. Firstly, the tensile fatigue tests of reference CFRP bars were performed under various stress levels with a constant stress ratio of 0.1. Secondly, the tensile fatigue tests of exposed CFRP bars subject to the simulated SWSSC pore solution were carried out. The tensile failure modes and fatigue damage mechanisms corresponding to different stress levels, were identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Besides, the relationship between fatigue life expectancy and underlying fatigue damage mechanisms was carefully analyzed. Finally, the effective stress level method (ESLM) was proposed to evaluate the residual fatigue life of exposed CFRP bars based on the benchmark S–N curve. Combined with the degradation models (chemical etching/diffusion models) proposed in our previous research, ESLM could bridge corrosion fatigue life prediction of the exposed CFRP bars and the benchmark fatigue data of the non-exposed CFRP reinforcement. The predicted results have good correlations with the experimental data. This method can also provide valuable insight for the corrosion fatigue life prediction of other types of FRP composites.