Damage Detection in FRP-Reinforced Concrete Elements

• Published in: Materials Vol. 17; no. 5; p. 1171
• Main Authors: Malla, Pranit, Khedmatgozar Dolati, Seyed Saman, Ortiz, Jesus D, Mehrabi, Armin B, Nanni, Antonio, Ding, Jiayi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02-03-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Basalt; Bridges; Building; Building materials; Carbon fiber reinforced plastics; Composite materials; Concrete; Concrete structures; Construction industry; Construction materials; Corrosion; Corrosion resistance; Damage detection; Fiber reinforced concretes; Fiber reinforced polymers; Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP); FRP-reinforced concrete (FRP-RC); Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Ground penetrating radar; ground-penetrating radar (GPR); Maintenance and repair; Maintenance costs; non-destructive testing (NDT); Nondestructive testing; phased array ultrasonic (PAU); Phased arrays; Prestressed concrete; Radar arrays; Reinforced concrete; Reinforcing steels; Service life; Steel; Strands; Strength to weight ratio; Ultrasonic testing; ultrasonic testing (UT); Urban planning; Weight reduction; Florida; United States > US; ultrasonic testing (UT); Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP); ground-penetrating radar (GPR); non-destructive testing (NDT); FRP-reinforced concrete (FRP-RC); phased array ultrasonic (PAU)
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma17051171

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional steel reinforcements in concrete structures owing to their benefits of corrosion resistance, higher strength-to-weight ratio, reduced maintenance cost, extended service life, and superior durability. However, there has been limited research on non-destructive testing (NDT) methods applicable for identifying damage in FRP-reinforced concrete (FRP-RC) elements. This knowledge gap has often limited its application in the construction industry. Engineers and owners often lack confidence in utilizing this relatively new construction material due to the challenge of assessing its condition. Thus, the main objective of this study is to determine the applicability of two of the most common NDT methods: the Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Phased Array Ultrasonic (PAU) methods for the detection of damage in FRP-RC elements. Three slab specimens with variations in FRP type (glass-, carbon- and basalt-FRP, i.e., GFRP, CFRP, and BFRP, respectively), bar diameter, bar depths, and defect types were investigated to determine the limitations and detection capabilities of these two NDT methods. The results show that GPR could detect damage in GFRP bars and CFRP strands, but PAU was limited to damage detection in CFRP strands. The findings of this study show the applicability of conventional NDT methods to FRP-RC and at the same time identify the areas with a need for further research.