Durability and Mechanical Properties of Concrete Reinforced with Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) Bars: Towards Sustainable Infrastructure

Abstract

Reducing the fingerprint of infrastructure has become and is likely to continue to be at the forefront of stakeholders’ interests, including engineers and researchers. It necessary that future buildings produce minimal environmental impact during construction and remain durable for as long as practicably possible. The use of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars as a replacement for carbon steel is reviewed in this article by examining the literature from the past two decades with an emphasis on flexural strength, serviceability, and durability. The provisions of selected design and construction guides for flexural members are presented, compared, and discussed. The bond of BFRP bars to the surrounding concrete was reportedly superior to carbon steel when BFRP was helically wrapped and sand coated. Experimental studies confirmed that a bond coefficient kb = 0.8, which is superior to carbon steel, may be assumed for sand-coated BFRP ribbed bars that are helically wrapped, as opposed to the conservative value of 1.4 suggested by ACI440.1R-15. Code-based models overestimate the cracking load for BFRP-reinforced beams, but they underestimate the ultimate load. Exposure to an alkaline environment at temperatures as high as 60 °C caused a limited reduction in bond strength of BFRP. The durability of BFRP bars is influenced by the type of resin and sizing used to produce the bars.