Compressive Performance of Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete by Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Jackets

The development of recycled aggregate concrete(RAC)provides a new approach to limiting the waste of natural resources.In the present study,the mechanical properties and deformability of RACs were improved by adding basalt fibers(BFs)and using external restraints,such as a fiber-reinforced polymer(FRP)jacket or a PVC pipe.Samples were tested under axial compression.The results showed that RAC(50%replacement of aggregate)containing 0.2%BFs had the best mechanical properties.Using either BFs or PVC reinforcement had a slight effect on the loadbearing capacity and mode of failure.With different levels of BFs,the compressive strengths of the specimens reinforced with 1-layer and 3-layer basalt fiber reinforced polymer(BFRP)increased by 6.7%–10.5%and 16.5%–23.7%,respectively,and the ultimate strains increased by 48.5%–80.7%and 97.1%–141.1%,respectively.The peak stress of the 3-layer BFRP-PVC increased by 42.2%,and the ultimate strain improved by 131.3%,relative to the control.This reinforcement combined the high tensile strength of BFRP,which improved the post-peak behavior,and PVC,which enhanced the structural durability.In addition,to investigate the influence of the various constraints on compressive behavior,the stress-strain response was analyzed.Based on the analysis of experimental results,a peak stress-strain model and an amended ultimate stress-strain model were proposed.The models were verified as well;the result showed that the predictions from calculations are generally consistent with the experimental data(error within 10%).The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and reference for future applications of fiber-reinforced recycled concrete.

High-sensitivity phase imaging eddy current magneto-optical system for carbon fiber reinforced polymers detection

This paper proposed a high-sensitivity phase imaging eddy current magneto-optical (PI-ECMO) system for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) defect detection. In contrast to other eddy current-based detection systems, the proposed system employs a fixed position excitation coil while enabling the detection point to move within the detection region. This configuration effectively mitigates the interference caused by the lift-off effect, which is commonly observed in systems with moving excitation coils. Correspondingly, the relationship between the defect characteristics (orientation and position) and the surface vertical magnetic field distribution (amplitude and phase) is studied in detail by theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Experiments conducted on woven CFRP plates demonstrate that the designed PI-ECMO system is capable of effectively detecting both surface and internal cracks, as well as impact defects. The excitation current is significantly reduced compared with traditional eddy current magneto-optical (ECMO) systems.

Constitutive modeling of viscoelastic-viscoplastic behavior of short fiber reinforced polymers coupled with anisotropic damage and moisture effects

In this paper, a combined viscoelasticity-viscoplasticity model, coupled with anisotropic damage and moisture effects, is developed for short fiber reinforced polymers (SFRPs) with different fiber contents and subjected to a variety of strain rates. In our model, a rate-dependent yield surface for the matrix phase is employed to identify initial yielding of the material. When an SFRP is loaded at small deformation before yielding, its viscoelastic behavior can be described using the generalized Maxwell model, while when plasticity occurs, a scalar internal state variable (ISV) is used to capture the hardening behavior caused by the polymeric constituent of the composite. The material degradation due to the moisture absorption of the composite is modeled by employing another type of ISV with different evolution equations. The complicated damage state of the SFRPs is captured by a second rank tensor, which is further decomposed to model the subscale damage mechanisms of micro-voids/cracks nucleation, growth and coalescence. It is concluded that the proposed constitutive model can be used to accurately describe complicated behaviors of SFRPs because the results predicted from the model are in good agreement with the experimental data.

A review on machinability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP)and glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP)composite materials

Fiber reinforced polymer(FRP) composite materials are heterogeneous and anisotropic materials that do not exhibit plastic deformation. They have been used in a wide range of contemporary applications particularly in space and aviation,automotive,maritime and manufacturing of sports equipment. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP) and glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP) composite materials,among other fiber reinforced materials,have been increasingly replacing conventional materials with their excellent strength and low specific weight properties. Their manufacturability in varying combinations with customized strength properties,also their high fatigue,toughness and high temperature wear and oxidation resistance capabilities render these materials an excellent choice in engineering applications.In the present review study,a literature survey was conducted on the machinability properties and related approaches for CFRP and GFRP composite materials. As in the machining of all anisotropic and heterogeneous materials,failure mechanisms were also reported in the machining of CFRP and GFRP materials with both conventional and modern manufacturing methods and the results of these studies were obtained by use of variance analysis(ANOVA),artificial neural networks(ANN) model,fuzzy inference system(FIS),harmony search(HS) algorithm,genetic algorithm(GA),Taguchi's optimization technique,multi-criteria optimization,analytical modeling,stress analysis,finite elements method(FEM),data analysis,and linear regression technique. Failure mechanisms and surface quality is discussed with the help of optical and scanning electron microscopy,and profilometry. ANOVA,GA,FEM,etc. are used to analyze and generate predictive models.

Development and Properties of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics Geogrid

Glass fiber reinforced plastics geogrid has a wide application in the field of soil reinforcement because of its high strength, good toughness, and resistance to environmental stress, creep resistance and strong stability. In order to get high-powered glass fiber reinforced plastics geogrid and its mechanical characteristics, the properties and physical mechanical index of geogrid have been got through the study of its raw material, production process and important quality index. The analysis and study have been made to the geogrid＇s mechanical properties with loading speed, three-axial compression, temperature tensile test and FLAC3D numerical simulation, thus obtain the mechanical parameters of its displacement time curve, breaking strength and elongation at break. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows： （a） Using glass fiber materials, knurling and coated projection process, the f^acture strength and corrosion resistance of geogrid are greatly improved and the interlocking bite capability of soil is enhanced. （b） The fracture strength of geogrid is related to temperature and loading rate. When the surrounding rock pressure is fixed, the strength and anti-deformation ability of reinforced soil are significantly enhanced with increasing reinforced layers. （c） The pullout test shows the positive correlation between geogrid displacement and action time. （d） As a new reinforced material, the glass fiber reinforced plastics geogrid is not mature enough in theoretical research and practical experience, so it has become an urgent problem both in theoretical study and practical innovation.

Strengthening reinforced concrete beams using prestressed glass fiber-reinforced polymer-Part I: Experimental study

This work is aimed at studying the strengthening of reinforced concrete (R. C.) beams using prestressed glass fi- ber-reinforced polymer (PGFRP). Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) has recently become popular for use as repair or rehabilitation material for deteriorated R. C. structures, but because CFRP material is very stiff, the difference in CFRP sheet and concrete material properties is not favorable for transferring the prestress from CFRP sheets to R. C. members. Glass fi- ber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets with Modulus of Elasticity quite close to that of concrete was chosen in this study. The load-carrying capacities (ultimate loads) and the deflections of strengthened R. C. beams using GFRP and PGFRP sheets were tested and compared. T- and ⊥-shaped beams were used as the under-strengthened and over-strengthened beams. The GFRP sheets were prestressed to one-half their tensile capacities before being bonded to the T- and ⊥-shaped R. C. beams. The prestressed tension in the PGFRP sheets caused cambers in the R. C. beams without cracks on the tensile faces. The PGFRP sheets also enhanced the load-carrying capacity. The test results indicated that T-shaped beams with GFRP sheets increased in load-carrying capacity by 55% while the same beams with PGFRP sheets could increase load-carrying capacity by 100%. The ⊥-shaped beams with GFRP sheets could increase load-carrying capacity by 97% while the same beams with PGFRP sheets could increase the loading-carrying capacity by 117%. Under the same external loads, beams with GFRP sheets underwent larger deflections than beams with PGFRP sheets. While GFRP sheets strengthen R. C. beams, PGFRP sheets decrease the beams’ ductility, especially for the over-strengthened beams (⊥-shaped beams).

Electron density measurement of laser-induced epoxy fiber reinforced polymer plasma

Interferograms of laser-induced epoxy fiber reinforced polymer plasmas are obtained through aMach-Zehnder interferometry system. An improved digital double-exposure Fourier method is applied to extractinitial wrapped phases from interferograms, and then an improved phase unwrapping algorithm based on a maskand a branch-cut method is proposed to solve the problem of phase unwrapping. After the inverse Abel transfor-mation of the unwrapped phase, spatial distributions of the electron density of laser-induced epoxy fiber rein-forced polymer plasma at various delays are acquired. Results show that the measured electron density of theplasma is mainly distributed on the order of 10^18 cm^3. The experiment also indicates that the total amount oflaser plasma electrons changes slightly within the recorded time and the change of the electron density is approx-imately inversely proportional to the change of the plasma volume.

Experimental Investigation of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymers

The potential usage of virgin Low density polyethelyne (LDPE) reinforced with different concentrations (2%, 5% and 6% by weight) of treated rice straw with different lengths (2 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm) is investigated to produce high value products that have technical and environmental demand. The two treatment methods used for rice straw are alkali and acidic treatments of rice straw. The removal of impurities and waxy substances from fiber surface avoid creation of rougher topography after treatment and improves the quality of fiber, also content of hemi cellulose and lignin decrease so increase effectiveness of fiber due to dispersing of fiber in matrix. The reinforcing material is embedded in the matrix material to enhance tensile and flexural behaviors of the synthesized composite. The result of investigating these two mechanical properties, using statistical analysis & design of experiments, showed an enhancement in the mechaniccal properties of the virgin polymer composite compared to the virgin polymer. The flexural stress of the composite increased three times the virgin flexural stress, while the tensile stress increased eight times the original tensile stress.

A Review on Strengthening of Timber Beams Using Fiber Reinforced Polymers

Fiber reinforced polymer(FRP)has been used in the construction industry because of its advantages such as high strength,light weight,corrosion resistance,low density and high elasticity.This paper presents a review of bonding techniques adopted to strengthen timber beams using FRP to achieve larger spans.Different methods of bonding between FRP and timber beams have been summarized with a focus on the influencing factors and their effects as well as relevant bond-slip models proposed for fundamental understanding.Experimental investigations to evaluate the flexural performance of timber beams strengthened by FRP bars,sheets and wraps have also been critically reviewed to identify key influencing parameters.Limited research available on the shear performance of FRP reinforced timber beams have been analyzed to determine the influencing factors of the shear performance in timber-FRP beams.The paper finally presents an overall summary of the current-state-of-the-art and proposes some future research directions in the field.

Strengthening reinforced concrete beams using prestressed glass fiber-reinforced polymer-Part II:Analytical study

Strengthening reinforced concrete (R. C.) beams using prestressed glass fiber-reinforced polymer (PGFRP) was studied experimentally as described in Part I of this paper (Huang et al., 2005). In that paper, R. C. beams, R. C. beams with GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) sheets, and R. C. beams with PGFRP sheets were tested in both under-strengthened and over-strengthened cases. The test results showed that the load-carrying capacities (ultimate loads) of the beams with GFRP sheets were greater than those of the beams without polymer sheets. The load-carrying capacities of beams with PGFRP sheets were greater than those of beams with GFRP sheets. The objective of this work is to develop an analytical method to compute all of these load-carrying capacities. This analytical method is independent of the experiments and based only on the traditional R. C. and P. C. (prestressed concrete) theory. The analytical results accorded with the test results. It is suggested that this analytical method be used for analyzing and designing R. C. beams strengthened using GFRP or PGFRP sheets.

Study of galvanic corrosion and mechanical joint properties of AZ31B and carbon-fiber–reinforced polymer joined by friction self-piercing riveting

A new testing methodology was developed to quantitively study galvanic corrosion of AZ31B and thermoset carbon-fiber–reinforced polymer spot-joined by a friction self-piercing riveting process.Pre-defined areas of AZ31B in the joint were exposed in 0.1 M NaCl solution over time.Massive galvanic corrosion of AZ31B was observed as exposure time increased.The measured volume loss was converted into corrosion current that was at least 48 times greater than the corrosion current of AZ31B without galvanic coupling.Ninety percent of the mechanical joint integrity was retained for corroded F-SPR joints to 200 h and then decreased because of the massive volume loss of AZ31B。

Compressive Strength Estimation for the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP)-Confined Concrete Columns with Different Shapes Using Artificial Neural Networks

An evaluation of existing strength of concrete columns confined with fiber-reinforced polymer( FRP) was presented with extensive collection of experimental data. According to the evaluation results, artificial neural networks( ANNs) model to predict the ultimate strength of FRP confined column with different shapes was proposed. The models had seven inputs including the column length,the tensile strength of the FRP in the hoop direction,the total thickness of FRP,the diameter of the concrete specimen,the elastic modulus of FRP,the corner radius and the concrete compressive strength. The compressive strength of the confined concrete was the output data. The results reveal that the proposed models have good prediction and generalization capacity with acceptable errors.

Square concrete columns strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced plastics sheets at low temperatures

Twenty-one square concrete columns were constructed and tested. The testing results indicate that bonded carbon fiber reinforced plastics(CFRP) sheets can be used to increase the strength and improve the serviceability of damaged concrete columns at low temperatures. The failure of the specimens,in most cases,takes place within the middle half of the columns. And the failure of strengthened columns is sudden and explosive. The CFRP sheets increase both the axial load capacity and the ultimate concrete compressive strain of the columns. The ultimate loads of strengthened columns at-10,0 and 10 ℃ increase averagely by 9.09%,6.63% and 17.83%,respectively,as compared with those of the control specimens. The axial compressive strength of strengthened columns is related to the curing temperatures. The improvement of axial compressive strength decreases with reducing temperature,and when the temperature drops to a certain value,the improvement increases with falling temperature.

Experimental study on ductility improvement of reinforced concrete rectangular Columns retrofitted with a new fiber reinforced plastics method

Reinforced concrete （RC） columns lacking adequately detailed transverse reinforcement do not possess the necessary ductility to dissipate seismic energy during a major earthquake without severe strength degradation. In this paper, a new retrofit method, which utilized fiber-reinforced plastics （FRP） confinement mechanism and anchorage of embedded bars, was developed aiming to retrofit non-ductile large RC rectangular columns to prevent the damage of the plastic hinges. Carbon FRP （CFRP） sheets and glass FRP （GFRP） bars were used in this test, and five scaled RC columns were tested to examine the function of this new method for improving the ductility of columns. Responses of columns were examined before and after being retrofitted. Test results indicate that this new composite method can be very effective to improve the anti-seismic behavior of non-ductile RC columns compared with normal CFRP sheets retrofitted column.

Nonlinear stability of timber column strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer

By taking into account the effect of the bi-modulus for tension and compression of the fiber reinforced polymer （FRP） sheet in the reinforcement layer, a general mathematical model for the nonlinear bending of a slender timber beam strengthened with the FRP sheet is established under the hypothesis of the large deflection deformation of the beam. Nonlinear governing equations of the second order effect of the beam bending are derived. The nonlinear stability of a simply-supported slender timber column strengthened with the FRP sheet is then investigated. An expression of the critical load of the simply-supported FRP-strengthened timber beam is obtained. The existence of postbuckling solution of the timber column is proved theoretically, and an asymptotic analytical solution of the postbuckling state in the vicinity of the critical load is obtained using the perturbation method. Parameters are studied showing that the FRP reinforcement layer has great influence on the critical load of the timber column, and has little influence on the dimensionless postbuckling state.

THE EFFECT OF POLYMER IN STEEL FIBER REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES

Three kinds of polymers, polymethyl acrylate emulsion (POLYVINYLformal solution (PV- FO), styrene acrylate copolymer emulsion (SA)are chosen To study the effect of polymer in steel fiber rein forcedce- Ment composites (SFRCC). The experimental results show That thebonding properties in SFRCC are remarkably im- Proved after theaddition of three kinds of polymer.

Behaviour of Multiscale Progressive Damage for Different Matrix Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics Bars

The damage formation and evolution of glass fiber reinforced plastics( GFRP) bar on mechanical properties were mainly evaluated by theoretical analysis and numerical calculations which lack of test basis of damage process. The two different matrices of unsaturated polyester and vinylester GFRP bars were selected to carry out a series of macro-mesoscopic physical and mechanical tests to analyze the tensile progressive damage process on a multiscale. The formation of apparent crack,the bonding of internal components as well as the strain change were all reflected damage evolution of GFRP bar,and a certain correlation existed between them. Wherein the matrix has an obvious impact on the damage of bar,the component stress transfer effect of vinylester bar is better than unsaturated polyester from crack propagation observation and scanning electron microscopy( SEM). The cyclic loading tests quantitatively reflect the difference of damage accumulation between different matrix bars,and the failure load of bars decreases nearly 10%.

Mechanical joint performances of friction self-piercing riveted carbon fiber reinforced polymer and AZ31B Mg alloy

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP) and AZ31B Mg alloy were joined by the friction self-piercing riveting(F-SPR) with different steel rivet shank sizes. With the increase of rivet shank size, lap shear fracture load and mechanical interlock distance increased. Ultrafine grains were formed at the joint in AZ31B as a result of dynamic recrystallization, which contributed to the higher hardness. Fatigue life of the CFRP-AZ31B joint was studied at various peak loads of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 kN and compared with the resistance spot welded AZ31B-AZ31B from the open literature. The fatigue performance was better at higher peak load(>2 kN) and comparable to that of resistance spot welding of AZ31B to AZ31B at lower peak loads(<1 kN). From fractography, the crack initiation for lower peak load(<1 kN) case was observed at the fretting positions on the top and bottom surfaces of AZ31B sheet. When peak load was increased, fretting between the rivet and the top of AZ31B became more dominant to initiate a crack during fatigue testing.

Tribological Behavior of Diamond Coatings against Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics under Dry Conditions

The frictional resistance and machining quality when cutting carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) laminates are associated with tribological behavior of tool materials. In the present study, the tribological properties of three types of monolayer microcrystalline diamond (MCD) coatings, nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) coatings and dual-layer MCD/NCD coatings sliding against CFRP are investigated under dry lubricated conditions using the rotational friction tester. The coefficients of friction (COF), wear rate and worn surfaces of the contacted surfaces are analyzed for the MCD-CFRP, NCD-CFRP and MCD/NCD-CFRP contacting pairs. The results show that compared with the monolayer MCD and NCD, the bilayer of MCD/NCD coating displays the lowest COF with the value of ~0.13, it is 42% and 55% of the values for MCD and NCD coatings. Due to the rough surfaces of MCD, the wear debris of CFRP on MCD samples exhibits the plowing effect. While for the NCD and MCD/NCD samples, the wear fragments display the planar shapes. The wear rate of CFRP against MCD is more than twice that of CFRP against NCD, due to the excellent loading capacity. While the wear rate of CFRP against MCD/NCD is about twice than that of CFRP-NCD pairs. The bilayer of MCD/NCD combines the excellent advantages of high hardness of MCD and the smooth surface of NCD. It shows the broad application potential for the bilayer coatings.

Advanced Welding Technology for Highly Stressable Multi-Material Designs with Fiber-Reinforced Plastics and Metals

Organic sheets made out of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics are able to make a crucial contribution to increase the lightweight potential of a design. They show high specific strength- and stiffness properties, good damping characteristics and recycling capabilities, while being able to show a higher energy absorption capacity than comparable metal constructions. Nowadays, multi-material designs are an established way in the automotive industry to combine the benefits of metal and fiber-reinforced plastics. Currently used technologies for the joining of organic sheets and metals in large-scale production are mechanical joining technologies and adhesive technologies. Both techniques require large overlapping areas that are not required in the design of the part. Additionally, mechanical joining is usually combined with “fiber-destroying” pre-drilling and punching processes. This will disturb the force flux at the joining location by causing unwanted fiber- and inter-fiber failure and inducing critical notch stresses. Therefore, the multi-material design with fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and metals needs optimized joining techniques that don’t interrupt the force flux, so that higher loads can be induced and the full benefit of the FRP material can be used. This article focuses on the characterization of a new joining technology, based on the Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) welding process that allows joining of organic sheets and metals in a load path optimized way, with short cycle times. This is achieved by redirecting the fibers around the joining area by the insertion of a thin metal pin. The path of the fibers will be similar to paths of fibers inside structures found in nature, e.g. a knothole inside of a tree. As a result of the bionic fiber design of the joint, high joining strengths can be achieved. The increase of the joint strength compared to blind riveting was performed and proven with stainless steel and orthotropic reinforced composites in shear-tests based on the DIN EN ISO 14273. Every specimen joined with the new CMT Pin joining technology showed a higher strength than specimens joined with one blind rivet. Specimens joined with two or three pin rows show a higher strength than specimens joined with two blind rivets.