Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate experimentally and numerically the behavior of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) reinforcement exposed to a combination of ultraviolet rays, humidity, and rain. Specifically, the effects of the previously stated harsh exposure on the serviceability performance and flexural capacity of BFRP reinforced concrete beams was examined. Holding the exposure parameter constant, the study also evaluated the effects of reinforcement ratio and beam detailing on the flexural capacity and the bond-dependent coefficient (kb) of the beams. Seven beams were cast and tested, four of which were reinforced with exposed BFRP bars, two were reinforced with unexposed BFRP bars, and one specimen was cast and reinforced with steel bars to serve as a benchmark specimen. The results indicate that the kb factor was averaged to be 0.61 for all the beams. Test results also indicate that increasing the reinforcement ratio did not result in a directly proportional increase in the moment capacity. The period of exposure did not cause any significant impact on the behavior of the over-reinforced beams. Thus, a finite element model was created to simulate the impact of exposure on the behavior of under-reinforced BFRP reinforced concrete beams.
Highlights
Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement was investigated as a substitute to the conventional steel reinforcement
This paper attempts to fill in some of the gaps in knowledge by investigating bond dependent coefficient of concrete beams reinforced with basalt FRP (BFRP) bars exposed to harsh conditions
The results show that the acid solution and the salt solution had lesser impact on the durability of BFRP bars than the alkaline solution [17]
Summary
Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement was investigated as a substitute to the conventional steel reinforcement. The aforementioned FRP products differ in properties due to the difference in fiber type, fiber volume, fiber orientation, resin type, chemical composition, and quality control during the development process [1]. Due to the difference in behavior between steel and FRP composites, the conventional design philosophies, followed in ACI 318, had to be tailored to the new development. The advancement in the realm of FRP led to the birth of a new manual for FRP reinforced concrete design (ACI 440). The manual is still a work in progress, especially in areas such as bond dependent coefficient, BFRP reinforcement, and exposure. This paper attempts to fill in some of the gaps in knowledge by investigating bond dependent coefficient of concrete beams reinforced with BFRP bars exposed to harsh conditions
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