EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE LONG-TERM MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BFRP BARS IN A CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT

With the rapid development of the emerging marine industry, more and more marine infrastructure projects use basalt-fiber-reinforced, composite-reinforcement (BFRP) tendons, which can fundamentally avoid the corrosion of steel bars. However, the degradation of the mechanical properties of BFRP bars in harsh corrosive environments is a growing concern. This study analyzes the tensile strength, interlaminar shear properties, and transverse shear characteristics of BFRP bars across five typical corrosive environments, i.e., pure water, weak acid, strong acid, weak alkali, and strong alkali, utilizing experimental methods and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate significant differences in the mechanical properties of BFRP reinforcement across various corrosive environments. In particular, under strong acid (pH = 3) and strong alkali (pH = 13) conditions, basic mechanical properties are reduced, demonstrating the material’s sensitivity to extreme chemical environments. In distilled water (pH = 7), the mechanical properties of the BFRP reinforcement exhibit relatively high stability, supporting its potential applications in clean water. Moreover, it was observed that strong acid and alkali environments resulted in significant gaps and voids within the BFRP tendons, and the bonding between fibers and resin was weakened, further affecting their overall mechanical properties. In summary, this study offers a significant theoretical basis and experimental support for the long-term application of BFRP reinforcement in various corrosive environments, promoting its development in marine infrastructure.