Behavior of BFRP bars subjected to dynamic impact loads

Abstract

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars are deemed to be one of the best solutions to the corrosion dilemma associated with steel reinforcement. This paper presents an experimental study on the behavior of Basalt FRP bars subjected to impact loading. Dynamic tests were conducted on eighteen BFRP bars of 17 mm and 20 mm diameters (B17 and B20) using the drop hammer test procedure. Different loading rates were achieved through varying the weight of mass and height of fall. The paper evaluated the maximum stresses attained by the BFRP bars at various loading rates. As the loading rate increased, the B20 bars reported a higher strength value. However, the B17 bars showed a drop in the strength with the increase of the loading rate, which requires further investigation. The crushing was observed to be most prominent in the top part of the bars where the bars exhibited a conical shape after failure.