Effect of aging on bond of GFRP bars embedded in concrete

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the durability of the bond between GFRP bars and concrete, specifically as it relates to degradation of the GFRP-bar surface and behavior of the bar-concrete interface. The GFRP bars were embedded in concrete and exposed to tap water at 23 C, 40 C, and 50 C to accelerate potential degradation. The bond strengths before and after exposure were considered as a measure of the durability of the bond between the GFRP bars and concrete. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize how bar aging affected the bond between the GFRP bars and the concrete. The results showed that aging did not significantly affect the durability of the bar-concrete interface under the conditions used in this study. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.