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Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Fibers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2024 | Viewed by 22895

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Violetta Kytinou

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Reinforced Concrete and Seismic Design of Structures, Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Interests: FRP; RC; reinforced concrete; SFRC; fiber reinforced concrete; beam; shear; flexure; FEM; finite elements; columns; joints; repair; strengthening; rehabilitation; RC jacket

Prof. Dr. Constantin Chalioris

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Division of Structural Engineering Science, Democritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece
Interests: FRP; reinforced concrete; shear; tentioned concrete; steel fiber reinforced concrete; repair; tortion; structural health monitoring; strengthening and structural rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The investigation of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) application as main, supplementary and strengthening reinforcement in concrete structures has been rising in the past years. The growing need for non-corrosive and durable reinforcement has resulted in a surge in worldwide FRP reinforcement manufacturers, who have produced a wide range of materials with a variety of properties including textile composite reinforcement and FRP bars. The successful application of FRP as reinforcement in concrete structures is becoming more frequent as different national and international provisions and recommendations on the construction and design with FRP have been established over the previous decades. Researchers focus on the investigation of FRP composites to create novel and efficient solutions to address the ever-increasing aging challenges in infrastructure. Innovative FRP reinforcement solutions are being presented more often and the benefits of these implementations over traditional steel reinforcing methods are proved.

This special issue will highlight current developments and novelties in the use of FRP as reinforcement in existing or newly constructed concrete structures. Studies involving the integration of FRPs in concrete structural members and structures, including traditional and modern experimental, numerical and analytical investigations are welcome. The research that will be discussed and presented herein focuses on the use of FRP systems in reinforced concrete structural members, as well as the performance of FRPs (including bond performance) under monotonic and cyclic loadings and various environmental exposures.

Dr. Violetta Kytinou
Prof. Dr. Constantin Chalioris
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs)
fiber-reinforced bars
concrete
Reinforced Concrete (RC)
repair
strengthening
mechanical properties
experimental study
bond behavior
numerical modeling
structural behavior
field applications

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 15701 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Polyethylene-Fiber-Reinforced Recycled-Brick-Aggregate Concrete

by Yongcheng Ji and Zhiyang Pei

Polymers 2023, 15(23), 4573; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234573 - 29 Nov 2023

Viewed by 744

Abstract

The utilization of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers (UHMWPEFs) to enhance recycled-brick-aggregate concrete represents an efficacious approach for ameliorating the concrete’s performance. This investigation addresses the influences of recycled-brick aggregates (RAs) and UHMWPEFs on the concrete’s slump, shrinkage, flexural strength, resistance to chloride-ion ingress, and freeze–thaw durability. The mechanisms through which UHMWPEFs ameliorate the performance of the recycled-brick-aggregate concrete were elucidated at both the micro and macroscopic levels. The findings underscore that the three-dimensional network structure established by the UHMWPEFs, while resulting in a reduction in the concrete slump, substantially enhances the concrete’s mechanical properties and durability. A regression model for the multifaceted performance of the UHMWPEF-reinforced recycled-brick-aggregate concrete (F-RAC) was formulated by employing response-surface methodology, and the model’s reliability was confirmed through variance analysis. The interactive effects of the RA and UHMWPEFs on the concrete were analyzed through a combined approach involving response-surface analysis and contour plots. Subsequently, a multiobjective optimization was conducted for the F-RAC performance, yielding the optimal proportions of RA and UHMWPEFs. It was determined that the optimal performance across the dimensions of the shrinkage resistance, flexural strength, chloride-ion resistance, and freeze–thaw durability of the F-RAC could be simultaneously achieved when the substitution rate of the RA was 14.02% and the admixture of the UHMWPEFs was 1.13%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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21 pages, 6022 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimisation of the Mechanical Properties and Mix Proportion of Multiscale-Fibre-Reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composites

by Bowei Yang, Chen Wang, Song Chen, Kaixin Qiu and Jiuhong Jiang

Polymers 2023, 15(17), 3531; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15173531 - 24 Aug 2023

Viewed by 737

Abstract

Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) are cement-based composite materials with strain-hardening and multiple-cracking characteristics. ECCs have multiscale defects, including nanoscale hydrated silicate gels, micron-scale capillary pores, and millimetre-scale cracks. By using millimetre-scale polyethylene (PE) fibres, microscale calcium carbonate whiskers (CWs), and nanoscale carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as exo-doped fibres, a multiscale enhancement system was formed, and the effects of multiscale fibres on the mechanical properties of ECCs were tested. The Box-Behnken experimental design method, which is a response surface methodology, was used to construct a quadratic polynomial regression equation to optimise ECC design and provide an optimisation of ECC mix proportions. The results of this study showed that a multiscale reinforcement system consisting of PE fibres, CWs, and CNTs enhanced the mechanical properties of ECCs. CWs had the greatest effect on the compressive strengths of highly ductile-fibre-reinforced cementitious composites, followed by CNTs and PE fibres. PE fibres had the greatest effect on the flexural and tensile strengths of high-ductility fibre-reinforced cementitious composites, followed by CWs and CNTs. The final optimisation results showed that when the ECC matrix was doped with 1.55% PE fibres, 2.17% CWs, and 0.154% CNTs, the compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile strength of the matrix were optimal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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29 pages, 32758 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of a Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Mortar Blast Resistant Panel

by Chien-Chin Chen, Ying-Kuan Tsai, Yu-Kai Lin, Pin-Hsuan Ho and Chang-Yu Kuo

Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3440; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163440 - 17 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 920

Abstract

Geopolymer materials have excellent properties such as high strength, low thermal conductivity, fire resistance, acid and alkali resistance, and low carbon emissions. They can be used as protective engineering materials in places with explosion risks. At present, the common composite blast resistant panel is in the form of a sandwich: the outer layer isgalvanized steel plate, and fiber cement board or calcium carbonate board is used as the inner layer material, as these boards have the advantages of easy installation, good fire resistance, and explosion resistance. This study investigates the effect of adding different types of fibers to geopolymer mortar on the mortar’s basic mechanical properties, such as compression strength, bending strength, and impact resistance. The explosive resistance of the fiber-reinforced geopolymer mortar blast resistant panels was evaluated through free-air explosion. In this paper, experimental procedures and numerical simulation have been performed to study the failure modes, maximum deflection, and dynamic response of the fiber-reinforced geopolymer mortar blast resistant panel under free-air explosion. The research results can provide a reference for the design and production of blast resistant panels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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19 pages, 10673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Helix-Pultruded CFRP Rebar Geometry Variants for Carbon-Reinforced Concrete Structures

by Daniel Wohlfahrt, Hannes Franz Maria Peller, Steffen Müller, Niels Modler and Viktor Mechtcherine

Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3285; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153285 - 03 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1495

Abstract

Carbon concrete is a new, promising class of materials in the construction industry. This corrosion-resistant reinforcement material leads to a reduction in the concrete cover required for medial shielding. This enables lean construction and the conservation of concrete and energy-intensive cement manufacturing. Bar-type reinforcement is essential for heavily loaded structures. The newly developed helix pultrusion is the first process capable of producing carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement bars with a topological surface in a single pultrusion process step, with fiber orientation tailored to the specific loads. The manufacturing feasibility and load-bearing capacity were thoroughly tested and compared with other design and process variants. Approaches to increase stiffness and strength while maintaining good concrete anchorage have been presented and fabricated. Tensile testing of the helical rebar variants with a 7.2 mm lead-bearing cross-section was conducted using adapted wedge grips with a 300 mm restraint length. The new helix geometry variants achieved, on average, 40% higher strengths and almost reached the values of the base material. Concrete pull-out tests were carried out to evaluate the bond properties. The helix contour design caused the bar to twist out of the concrete test specimen. Utilizing the Rilem beam test setup, the helical contour bars could also be tested. Compared with the original helix variant, the pull-out forces could be increased from 8.5 kN to up to 22.4 kN, i.e., by a factor of 2.5. It was thus possible to derive a preferred solution that is optimally suited for use in carbon concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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17 pages, 3833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Compressive Membrane Action in GFRP-Reinforced Concrete Slabs

by Gobithas Tharmarajah, Su Taylor and Desmond Robinson

Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051230 - 28 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1319

Abstract

Experimental and numerical analyses of eight in-plane restrained slabs (1425 mm (length) × 475 mm (width) × 150 mm (thickness)) reinforced with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars are reported in this paper. The test slabs were installed into a rig, that provided 855 kN/mm in-plane stiffness and rotational stiffness. The effective depths of the reinforcement in the slabs varied from 75 mm to 150 mm, and the amount of reinforcement changed from 0 to 1.2% with 8, 12, and 16 mm bar diameters. A comparison of the service and ultimate limit state behavior of the tested one-way spanning slabs shows that a different design approach is necessary for GFRP-reinforced in-plane restrained slabs that demonstrate compressive membrane action behavior. Design codes based on yield line theory, which considers simply supported and rotationally restrained slabs, are not sufficient to predict the ultimate limit state behavior of restrained GFRP-reinforced slabs. Tests reported a higher failure load for GFRP-reinforced slabs by a factor of 2, which was further validated by numerical models. The experimental investigation was validated by a numerical analysis, and the acceptability of the model was further confirmed by consistent results obtained by analyzing in-plane restrained slab data from the literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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19 pages, 9248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bond Behavior of Steel Rebar Embedded in Cementitious Composites Containing Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Fibers and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)

by Dongmin Lee, Seong-Cheol Lee and Sung-Won Yoo

Polymers 2023, 15(4), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040884 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1334

Abstract

In this study, pull-out tests were conducted to investigate the bond behavior of a rebar embedded in cementitious composites with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In the cementitious composites, the binder consisted of ordinary Portland cement, blast furnace slag, and fly ash, with a weight ratio of 39.5, 21.0 and 39.5%, respectively, while the nonbinder consisted of quartzite sand, lightweight aggregate, superplasticizer, and shrinkage-reducing admixture. The water/binder ratio and volume fractions of the PVA fibers were 32.9% and 2.07%, respectively. In the test program, the rebar diameter (D13, D16, and D19) and CNTs mix ratio (0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt.%) were considered as the test variables. The test results showed that the bond strength of a rebar increased as the rebar diameter decreased or as the CNTs mix ratio increased. Based on the test results, a new, simple model has been proposed with consideration of the rebar diameter, as well as the CNTs mix ratio. Comparing the test results, it was investigated that the proposed model generally represented the bond behavior well, including the bond strength and the corresponding slip of a rebar embedded in PVA cementitious composites, with or without CNTs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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19 pages, 6311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on Tin Slag Polymer Concrete Strengthening under Compression with Metallic Material Confinement

by Muhamad Soffi Manda, Mohd Ruzaimi Mat Rejab, Shukur Abu Hassan, Mat Uzir Wahit and Didik Nurhadiyanto

Polymers 2023, 15(4), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040817 - 06 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1186

Abstract

Studies on the external strengthening of tin slag polymer concrete by fibre-reinforced plastic confinement have provided strength enhancement of tin slag polymer concrete up to 128% with carbon fibre-reinforced plastic confinement. However, the effect of metallic material confinement has yet to be studied. This article presents the experimental finding on tin slag polymer concrete strengthening through metallic material confinement under compressive loads. Machined mild steel metal tube has been employed to strengthen tin slag polymer concrete core in partial and fully confinement prior to compression testing. Through this study, compressive strength of tin slag polymer concrete short column has been enhanced with the metal tube confinement application from 59.19 MPa (unconfined) to 95.86 MPa (partial metal confinement) and 131.84 (full metal confinement) representing 61.95% and 122.74% of strength enhancement percentage. Material behaviour analysis through stress versus strain curves has revealed that the strain softening curve is modified by metal tube confinement before a fracture occurs on both partial and full metal confinement samples compared to the control sample (unconfined). In addition, the failure modes have indicated that the high ductility of metallic confinement material has effectively confined tin slag polymer concrete from sudden fracture where the metal tube in partial confinement indicates ductile expansion while the metal tube in full confinement has shown ductile crushing. In general, it was concluded that metallic material confinement on tin slag polymer concrete under compressive load has resulted in providing strength enhancement and modified the failure mode of tin slag polymer concrete. Finally, further research is recommended, especially by initiating numerical analysis to facilitate parametric studies on tin slag polymer concrete for structural material design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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27 pages, 11340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Shear Behaviors and Damage Assessment of Circular Concrete Short Columns Reinforced with GFRP Bars and Spiral Stirrups

by Xiaolu Wang, Lingzhu Zhou, Yuke Liang, Yu Zheng, Lixiao Li and Bo Di

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030567 - 21 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1564

Abstract

This study investigated the shear resistance and damage evolution of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP)-reinforced concrete short columns. Five circular concrete short columns reinforced with GFRP bars and spiral stirrups were fabricated and tested under lateral thrust in the laboratory. The test variables involved the stirrup reinforcement ratio, the longitudinal reinforcement ratio and the type of stirrups. The failure modes, load-displacement curves, strain responses and crack characteristics of these columns were documented and discussed. The accuracy of shear design equations in predicting shear capacity of such columns was evaluated. In addition, the digital image correlation (DIC) instrument was used to identify the full-field strain and damage zones of circular concrete short columns. Several smart aggregate (SA) transducers coupled to the surface of these columns were used to monitor its damage status. The energy ratio index (ERI) and the damage index based on smart aggregate were established to characterize damage level of such columns. The test results indicate that the shear capacity is improved 5.6% and 31.1% and the lateral ultimate displacement is increased 67.7% and 400% as the stirrup reinforcement ratio of the concrete short column is increased from 0 to 0.19% and 0.47%, respectively. The shear capacity equation proposed by Ali and his co-workers, considering a strain limit of

0.004 E_{f v}

, gives accurate predictions of the shear capacity of circular concrete short columns reinforced with GFRP bars and spiral stirrups. The variation in ERI values is explained by the development of damage zones of the column obtained with DIC technology and with the proposed damage index based on the smart aggregate it is feasible to evaluate the damage level of circular short concrete columns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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24 pages, 10736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cracking and Fiber Debonding Identification of Concrete Deep Beams Reinforced with C-FRP Ropes against Shear Using a Real-Time Monitoring System

by Nikos A. Papadopoulos, Maria C. Naoum, George M. Sapidis and Constantin E. Chalioris

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030473 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2101

Abstract

Traditional methods for estimating structural deterioration are generally costly and inefficient. Recent studies have demonstrated that implementing a network of piezoelectric transducers mounted to critical regions of concrete structural members substantially increases the efficacy of the structural health monitoring (SHM) method. This study uses a recently developed electro-mechanical-admittance (EMA)-based SHM system for real-time damage diagnosis of carbon FRP (C-FRP) ropes installed as shear composite reinforcement in RC deep beams. The applied SHM technique uses the frequency response measurements of a network of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patches. The proposed strengthening methods using C-FRP ropes as ETS and NSM shear reinforcement and the applied anchorage techniques significantly enhanced the strength and the overall performance of the examined beams. The retrofitted beams exhibited increased shear capacity and improved post-peak response with substantial ductility compared with the brittle failure of the non-strengthened specimens. The health condition and the potential debonding failure of the applied composite fiber material were also examined and quantified using the proposed SHM technique. Damage quantification of C-FRP ropes is achieved by comparing and assessing the values of several statistical damage indices. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed monitoring system successfully diagnosed the region where the damage occurred by providing early warning of the forthcoming critical shear cracking of concrete and C-FRP rope debonding failures. Furthermore, the internal PZT transducers showed sound indications of the C-FRP rope’s health condition, demonstrating a direct correlation with the mechanical performance of the fibers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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19 pages, 10113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fiber Reinforced Polymer Debonding Failure Identification Using Smart Materials in Strengthened T-Shaped Reinforced Concrete Beams

by Adamantis G. Zapris, Maria C. Naoum, Violetta K. Kytinou, George M. Sapidis and Constantin E. Chalioris

Polymers 2023, 15(2), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020278 - 05 Jan 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1844

Abstract

The favorable contribution of externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (EB-FRP) sheets to the shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is widely acknowledged. Nonetheless, the premature debonding of EB-FRP materials remains a limitation for widespread on-site application. Once debonding appears, it is highly likely that brittle failure will occur in the strengthened RC structural member; therefore, it is essential to be alerted of the debonding incident immediately and to intervene. This may not be always possible, particularly if the EB-FRP strengthened RC member is located in an inaccessible area for fast inspection, such as bridge piers. The ability to identify debonding immediately via remote control would contribute to the safer application of the technique by eliminating the negative outcomes of debonding. The current investigation involves the detection of EB-FRP sheet debonding using a remotely controlled electromechanical admittance (EMA)-based structural health monitoring (SHM) system that utilizes piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensors. An experimental investigation on RC T-beams strengthened for shear with EB-FRP sheets has been performed. The PZT sensors are installed at various locations on the surface of the EB-FRP sheets to evaluate the SHM system’s ability to detect debonding. Additionally, strain gauges were attached on the surface of the EB-FRP sheets near the PZT sensors to monitor the deformation of the FRP and draw useful conclusions through comparison of the results to the wave-based data provided by the PZT sensors. The experimental results indicate that although EB-FRP sheets increase the shear resistance of the RC T-beams, premature failure occurs due to sheet debonding. The applied SHM system can sufficiently identify the debonding in real-time and appears to be feasible for on-site applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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17 pages, 3821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Continuously Reinforced Polymeric Composite for Additive Manufacturing—Development and Efficiency Analysis

by Arvydas Rimkus, Mahmoud M. Farh and Viktor Gribniak

Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3471; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173471 - 25 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2224

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly growing technology, referring to a 3D design process by which digital data builds a physical object in layers by depositing the printed material. The AM has evolved in the aviation, automotive, and medical industries. The AM development for fiber-reinforced composites is the point of current interest, with most research focused on using short fibers. However, notwithstanding particular technological complexities, continuous filaments have superior tensile properties compared to short fibers. Therefore, this manuscript develops an adaptive continuous reinforcement approach for AM based on polymeric material extrusion (ME) technology. It combines the raw material production process, including the ability to vary constituents (e.g., filament materials, reinforcement percentage, and recycled plastic replacement ratio), and the reinforcement efficiency analysis regarding the experimentally verified numerical model. The literature review has identified compatible materials for ensuring sustainable and high-performance plastic composites reinforced with continuous fibers. In addition, it identified the applicability of recycled polymers in developing ME processes. Thus, the study includes an experimental program to investigate the mechanical performance of 3D printed samples (polylactic acid, PLA, matrix reinforced with continuous aramid filament) through a tensile test. Recycled polymer replaced 40% of the virgin PLA. The test results do not demonstrate the recycled polymer’s negative effect on the mechanical performance of the printed samples. Moreover, the recycled material reduced the PLA cost by almost twice. However, together with the potential efficiency of the developed adaptive manufacturing technology, the mechanical characteristics of the printed material revealed room for printing technology improvement, including the aligned reinforcement distribution in the printed product and printing parameters’ setup. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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19 pages, 3509 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Machine Learning Model for Torsion Strength of Externally Bonded FRP-Reinforced Concrete Beams

by Ahmed Deifalla and Nermin M. Salem

Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1824; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091824 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 2240

Abstract

Strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams subjected to significant torsion is an ongoing area of research. In addition, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) is the most popular choice as a strengthening material due to its superior properties. Moreover, machine learning models have successfully modeled complex behavior affected by many parameters. This study will introduce a machine learning model for calculating the ultimate torsion strength of concrete beams strengthened using externally bonded (EB) FRP. An experimental dataset from published literature was collected. Available models were outlined. Several machine learning models were developed and evaluated. The best model was the wide neural network, which had the most accurate results with a coefficient of determination, root mean square error, mean average error, an average safety factor, and coefficient of variation values of 0.93, 1.66, 0.98, 1.11, and 45%. It was selected and further compared with the models from the existing literature. The model showed an improved agreement and consistency with the experimental results compared to the available models from the literature. In addition, the effect of each parameter on the strength was identified and discussed. The most dominant input parameter is effective depth, followed by FRP-reinforcement ratio and strengthening scheme, while fiber orientation has proven to have the least effect on the prediction output accuracy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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Review

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16 pages, 3068 KiB

Open AccessReview

Performance, Mechanical Properties and Durability of a New Type of UHPC—Basalt Fiber Reinforced Reactive Powder Concrete: A Review

by Fangyuan Li, Tangzhen Lv and Sihang Wei

Polymers 2023, 15(14), 3129; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15143129 - 23 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1570

Abstract

The advent of reactive powder concrete (RPC) has brought about the era of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), and the incorporation of fiber has brought about more possibilities for its application. Basalt fiber reinforced reactive powder concrete (BFRPC), as the product of the combination of RPC and fiber, has become a new engineering material that has received much attention from scholars in recent years. Compared with traditional UHPC, BFRPC is superior in corrosion resistance, material compatibility, cost performance, environmental protection, and other aspects; therefore, it is destined to have a wide range of applications in the future. In this article, we extensively reviewed the literature on basalt fiber reinforced RPC in the past decade from the perspective of work performance, mechanical properties, and durability. Moreover, we summarized the research progress and achievements on BFRPCs in the following points: (1) The performance of BFRPCs is mainly influenced by three factors: the frictional resistance between fine aggregates, the consistency of the cement slurry, and the three-dimensional random interweaving of basalt fibers; (2) the mechanical properties of BFRPC are mainly influenced by curing conditions, the design of the RPC matrix proportional mix, and the addition of basalt fibers up to a threshold; (3) thanks in part to RPC’s density and the filling and bridging of fibers, BFRPC exhibits uniform and good performance in durability indicators. However, there are still some problems in the current development of BFRPC, such as inconsistent test conclusions among different scholars and a lack of scenarios in which to apply BFRPC. This paper also puts forward the prospect from the aspects of theoretical research and practical application, and provides a reference for subsequent related work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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35 pages, 10534 KiB

Open AccessReview

Durability Performance Investigation for Engineering Fiber Cementitious Composites (ECC): Review

by Ziyi Zhang, Yongcheng Ji and Wenhao Ji

Polymers 2023, 15(4), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040931 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2181

Abstract

Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is currently receiving more and more attention due to its excellent tensile strain hardening and multiple cracking properties. However, due to the high material cost of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and quartz sand, its widespread promotion and application in the market are limited. Therefore, scholars at home and abroad have conducted many active studies on improving ECC. This paper summarizes the development history and research status of ECC materials, summarizes the current domestic and foreign researchers’ improvement methods for ECC materials, and classifies the improvement methods into three categories: the type of fiber variation, the water-binder ratio variation and adding mineral admixtures, the influences of the above three factors on the mechanical properties and durability of ECC, such as compressive and flexural resistance, are described in detail, and the mechanism of action is explained. Furthermore, this paper introduces the most common uniaxial compression and uniaxial tension constitutive models of ECC. They are briefly classified and evaluated, hoping to help readers’ numerical simulation analysis. Finally, some suggestions for ECC research, such as the proportion of water binders and the application of composite fibers, require further research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Reinforced Polymers Applications as Reinforcement of Concrete Structures—Design Aspects, Tests and Analysis)

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