ABSTRACT
FRP bars are chemically anti-corrosive to chloride salts, and suitable to reinforce concrete structures in offshore and coastal regions. Some FRP bar-reinforced concrete structures have been in service for decades. As service time increases, FRP bar-reinforced concrete structures (FRPRC) will undergo degradations in different environments. The aim of this paper is to study the effects of service environments on the deterioration process of FRP bar-reinforced concrete structures. A fully coupled mesoscale physical-chemical-mechanical model was developed to simulate the ingress of moisture and carbon dioxide (CO2) in concrete reinforced by FRP bars. The resultant effect of ingress on the mechanical deterioration of concrete was evaluated, such as carbonation depth and pH values. The predicted results were also compared and verified with field data after 15 years of service. In addition, the dominant factors from different service environments which degraded the FRP-concrete structures were discussed.
