Study of the Mechanical Performance of Grid-Reinforced Concrete Beams with Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymers

Abstract

Basalt fiber-reinforced polymers (BFRPs) can reduce construction costs and mitigate corrosion-related issues associated with steel-reinforced concrete structures. There is limited research on completely substituting steel cages with composite material grid structures. Combining BFRP grids with concrete is an effective solution to address the issue of poor corrosion resistance; BFRP grids also have a good bond with steel-reinforced concrete. Therefore, this paper introduces a novel BFRP grid-reinforced concrete beam. Flexural tests indicate that grid frameworks with 3 mm and 5 mm thickness combined with concrete exhibit higher flexural load-bearing capacity. Shear tests show that the shear load-bearing capability is influenced by the shear span ratio. Shear load-bearing capacity decreases when the shear span ratio rises, but only up to a certain point. Theoretical calculations for grid-reinforced concrete beams are made to demonstrate good conformity with test values. Based on the research findings, design recommendations and precise measurements for the internal grid frameworks for composite material grid-reinforced concrete beams are provided.