Mechanical properties of aramid fiber-reinforced composites and performance on repairing concrete beams damaged by corrosion

Abstract

This study presents an experimental investigation of the mechanical responses of concrete members with partially aramid fiber-reinforced concrete (AFRC). The effect of fiber geometry on mechanical properties of AFRC was investigated to provide a reasonable dimension of the aramid fibers for reinforcing the concrete beams. Additionally, an experiment on the flexural behavior of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams repaired by aramid fiber-reinforced mortar or high performance mortar was carried out. The test results indicated that 40 mm is the best fiber length to maximize the tensile strength of AFRC. Furthermore, the twisted fibers can resist a higher load capacity in the post-peak regions than single fibers. Both non-repaired and repaired RC beams were tested under a four-point bending load. The experimental results demonstrated that the load capacity and the ductility of a repaired corroded RC beam using aramid fiber-reinforced mortar were restored almost to the same capacity as a non-corroded RC member. The width of cracks in the corroded beam repaired with aramid fibers decreased significantly.

Keywords

• aramid fiber
• fiber geometry
• corrosion
• repairing
• flexural capacity