Case Studies in Construction Materials (Jun 2021)
New hybrid basalt/E-glass FRP jacketing for enhanced confinement of recycled aggregate concrete with clay brick aggregate
Abstract
Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is more sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective as compared to natural aggregate concrete (NAC). Among recycled aggregates (RAs), clay brick aggregate (CBA) has the potential of being the most widely used RAs because of the considerable amount of clay brick waste generated in many countries. The compressive behavior and mechanical properties of RAC with CBA are highly influenced by the mechanical properties of bricks. The stiffness and compressive strength of RAC with CBA are reported marginally lower than the natural aggregate concrete (NAC). In the past, different types of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites such as carbon FRP, glass FRP, and aramid FRP have been investigated to enhance the strength and stiffness of the RAC with CBA. However, the behavior of hybrid FRP confined RAC with CBA is not yet clear. In this study, the performance of a new, low-cost and high-performance hybrid composite to enhance the strength and stiffness of the RAC with CBA is investigated. Hybrid composite is developed by using natural Basalt fiber and E-glass fibers (Chopped Strand Mat) along with the use of high-performance polyester resin. Three types of bricks (having different strength and water absorption) were used to produce CBA. Other research parameters included were the strength of RAC with CBA and the number of layers of hybrid basalt/E-glass fiber reinforced polymer (BE-FRP) composite. A total number of 36 concrete cylinders (12 un-confined and 24 confined with BE-FRP) were tested under pure axial compressions. The results indicate that the BE-FRP composites are highly suitable to enhance strength, stiffness, and ductility of the RAC with CBA. Also, there was found a significant increase in strength and ductility with an increase in the confinement level. In the end, the efficiency of existing strength and stain models was assessed to predict the ultimate strength and strain of the BE-FRP confined RAC with BAC.
