Dynamic Behavior of PET FRP and Its Preliminary Application in Impact Strengthening of Concrete Columns

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber has attracted significant attention for reinforced concrete (RC) structure rehabilitation due to its large rupture strain (LRS; more than 7%) characteristic and recyclability from waste plastic bottles. This study presents a dynamic tensile test of PET fiber bundles performed using a drop-weight impact system. Results showed that the tensile strength and the elastic modulus of the PET fiber bundles increased, whereas the failure strain and the toughness decreased with the increasing strain rate from 1/600 to 160 s−1. In addition, the performance of concrete confined with the PET fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) under impact loading was investigated based on a 75 mm-diameter split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device and a drop-weight apparatus. For the SHPB test, owing to the large rupture strain property of PET FRP, the PET FRP-confined concrete exhibited significantly better performance under impact loading compared to its counterpart confined with carbon FRPs (CFRPs). During the drop-weight test, the confinement of the PET FRP composites to the concrete columns as external jackets not only improved the peak impact force, but also prolonged the impact process.