Durability of GFRP and BFRP reinforcing bars in simulated seawater sea sand calcium sulfoaluminate cement concrete pore solution

Thanks to the much smaller carbon footprint of calcium sulfoaluminate cement (SAC) concrete and the corrosion resistance of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement, FRP-reinforced SAC concrete can possibly replace conventional reinforced concrete in some cases. In this study, for the first time, the durability of glass FRP (GFRP) and basalt FRP (BFRP) bars, made with epoxy resin, is investigated in simulated pore solutions of concretes made with (a) SAC and fresh water, (b) SAC and seawater and sea sand. The bars were immersed in each solution and kept at constant temperature of 30 °C, 45 °C and 60 °C for up to 180 days. Bar samples were tested for their retained tensile strength and physiochemical degradation after 30, 60, 90, and 180 days of immersion. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to identify the underlying damage mechanisms. Results show that solution (b) is less harmful to BFRP than solution (a), while the opposite is true in the case of GFRP. Both solutions caused the dissolution of the epoxy resin and the leaching of the Fe in the basalt fiber. Overall, GFRP exhibited higher durability than BFRP. Based on image analysis, the deteriorated zone within the bar cross-section is not a uniform ring, but its area correlates with the loss of tensile strength. Inspired by the Avrami-Erofe'ev Equation and the Eyring's Transition State Theory, a novel time-temperature-dependent FRP bar degradation model is proposed. The proposed model shows close agreement between the predicted and measured tensile strengths.