Experimental research on mechanical behaviors of GFRP bridge decks under alkaline solution

Abstract

Glass fiber-reinforced plastic composites are particularly attractive as bridge deck systems due to their high strength, low density, and excellent corrosion resistance, which are of importance to the bridge industry. According to ACI 440.3R-04, the tests consisting of 100 glass fiber-reinforced plastic bridge deck samples were conducted to evaluate the mechanical behaviors of glass fiber-reinforced plastic bridge decks (including tensile property and flexural property) in terms of temperature of the alkaline solution and time period. The parameters of temperature included 40 C and 60 C, and the investigated corrosion time included 3.65 days, 18 days, 36.5 days and 92 days, respectively. The micro-formation of the glass fiber-reinforced plastic bridge deck samples surface were surveyed under scanning electron microscopy, which indicated that corrosion pits on the surface of glass fiber-reinforced plastic bridge decks became obvious and the interface between fibers and resins was severely damaged with the aging time and temperature increased. After being exposed to alkaline solution for 92 days at 40 C and 60 C, the tensile strength of glass fiber-reinforced plastic bridge decks decreased by 35.43% and 40.58%, respectively, while the flexural strength decreased by 21.36% and 42.10%, respectively. In addition, the degradation model of tensile strength and flexural strength of glass fiber-reinforced plastic bridge deck under alkaline solution were proposed based on Arrhenius equation.

Discussion of a Coupled Strength Attenuation Model for GFRP Composites in Hydrothermal Environments

“…Extensive research has been conducted to study the attenuation law of strength for the GFRPs. Most of the studies [3,13,[19][20][21] present the result that the strength of the GFRPs decreases rapidly at the early aging time and then goes slower and slower. To correspond with the natural index in the temperature model, a new model of aging for the time factor of GFRPs was proposed: = − / .…”

Flexural behavior of hybrid composite beams with a bamboo layer and lattice ribs

“…Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials have been widely used in infrastructure due to their advantages of high strength and corrosion resistance. 1–4 However, these materials are rarely used in beam element structures, because they are more costly than traditional materials such as concrete, timber, and steel, and the lower stiffness of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP), which is favored by the construction industry for its affordability as compared to aerospace-grade composites such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). 5 To overcome these obstacles, a number of researchers have worked to combine FRP and conventional materials.…”