Bond behavior of the interface between concrete and basalt fiber reinforced polymer bar after freeze-thaw cycles

Abstract

The shear bond of interface between concrete and basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars during freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles is crucial for the application of BFRP bar-reinforced concrete structures in cold regions. In this study, 48 groups of pull-out specimens were designed to test the shear bond of the BFRP-concrete interface subjected to F-T cycles. The effects of concrete strength, diameter, and embedment length of BFRP rebar were investigated under numerous F-T cycles. Test results showed that a larger diameter or longer embedment length of BFRP rebar resulted in lower interfacial shear bond behavior, such as interfacial bond strength, initial stiffness, and energy absorption, after the interface goes through F-T cycles. However, higher concrete strength and fewer F-T cycles were beneficial for enhancing the interfacial bond behavior. Subsequently, a three-dimensional (3D) interfacial model based on the finite element method was developed, and the interfacial bond behavior of the specimens was analyzed in-depth. Finally, a degradation bond strength subjected to F-T cycles was predicted by a proposed mechanical model. The predictions were fully consistent with the tested results. The model demonstrated accuracy in describing the shear bond behavior of the interface under numerous F-T cycles.