Title:
Durability of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer/Epoxy/Concrete Bond in Marine Environment
Author(s):
Rajan Sen, Mohsen Shahawy, Gray Mullins, and John Spain
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
96
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
906-914
Keywords:
bond; carbon; concretes; durability; tension; torsion.
DOI:
10.14359/786
Date:
11/1/1999
Abstract:
This paper presents results from a two-year exposure study to evaluate the durability of the epoxy bond formed with concrete and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) in a marine environment. Twenty-four unstressed slab specimens were used to investigate five different epoxy systems exposed to four different environments. Five of the 24 specimens—one for each epoxy system—were controls kept in an air-conditioned laboratory. The remaining 19 slabs were exposed to one of three environments: a) wet/dry cycles in salt water; b) combined wet/dry and thermal cycles in salt water; and c) outdoor. Long-term performance was evaluated both qualitatively, that is, visual inspection, and quantitatively from destructive shear and tension tests conducted at the end of the exposure period. The results showed there was some deterioration in bond, particularly in specimens exposed to wet/dry cycles. This could be more readily detected by destructive testing rather than visual inspection. Overall, the results are promising and suggest that several competing epoxy systems are likely to be durable in Florida’s harsh marine environment.