Behavior of a Precast Bridge Pier with Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (BFRP)-Strengthened Segments under Seismic Loading

Abstract

The precast segmental column (PSC) has been proposed for reducing onsite construction time and minimizing impacts on traffic and the environment. It has been proven to have good seismic performance according to previous studies. However, due to the rocking behavior of the column, the toe of the bottom segment could experience excessive compressive damage. In addition, the commonly used steel rebars in the PSC could experience corrosion problems during the service life of the structure. Moreover, ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPC) is normally used in the construction of the PSC, but the manufacturing processes of the OPC could emit a lot of carbon dioxide. This paper investigates the seismic performance of PSCs incorporating Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) bars and geopolymer concrete (GPC) segments. To mitigate the concrete crushing damage of the segment, the BFRP sheet was used to wrap the bottom segment of one of the specimens. The results revealed that the BFRP-reinforced geopolymer concrete PSC exhibited good seismic performance with minimal damage and small residual displacement. Strengthening the bottom segment with BFRP wrapping proved to be effective in reducing concrete damage. As a result, the column with BFRP wrap demonstrated the ability to withstand ground motions with higher Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) compared to the column without strengthening.