Glass frp reinforcement in rehabilitation of concrete marine infrastructure

Abstract EN

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements for concrete structures are gaining wide acceptance as a suitable alternative to steel reinforcement.

The primary advantage is that they do not suffer from corrosion and hence they promise to be more durable in environments where steel reinforced concrete has a limited life span.

Concrete wharves and jetties are examples of structures subjected to such harsh environments and represent the general class of marine infrastructure in which glass FRP (GFRP) reinforcement should be used for improved durability and service life.

General design considerations which make glass FRP suitable for use in marine concrete rehabilitation projects are discussed.

A case study of a recent wharf rehabilitation project in Canada is used to reinforce these considerations.

The structure consisted of a GFRP reinforced concrete deck panel and a steel–GFRP hybrid reinforced concrete pile cap.

A design methodology is developed for the hybrid reinforcement design and verified through testing.

The results of a field monitoring program are used to establish the satisfactory field performance of the GFRP reinforcement.

The design concepts presented in the paper are applicable to many concrete marine components and other structures where steel reinforcement corrosion is a problem.