Durable and Highly Dissipative Fibrous Composites for Strengthening Coastal Military Constructions

Abstract

Reinforced concrete strategic structures for military purposes are often established in coastalor offshore areas, widely subjected to chemical attacks, mainly due to an aggressive saline and acidenvironments. Porosity of cementitious conglomerates favour penetration of chlorides, which tend tocorrode the internal metallic rebar. The reinforcement of structures with fibrous composite materialsis a viable solution to restore the initial requirements of the building, especially when it exerts defence purposes. Among synthetic fibres, polyphenylenebenzobisoxazole (PBO) is an organic fibre based on linked aromatic structures with high elastic modulus and tensile strength and highly dissipative attitudes. In this work, the assessment of durability of continuous fibrereinforced cementitious mortar (FRCM) composites is carried out comparing the mechanical performance of laminates subjected to uniaxial tensile tests. It is found that PBOFRCM presents high resistance against aggressive environments and specifically preserve its mechanical strength in the presence of saltwater, where other reinforcing materials undergo to a dramatic degradation process.