Flexural experimental study on continuous reinforced concrete beams strengthened with basalt fiber reinforced polymer/plastic

This paper discusses a new fibrous composite known as continuous basalt fiber reinforced polymer/plastic (BFRP). Compared with other fiber reinforced polymer/plastic, BFRP has many advantages, such as ductility, high thermal resistance, corrosion resistance and economic cost. To test mechanical properties and failure modes of flexural members strengthened with BFRP, flexural experiment is conducted on four two-span T-section continuous beams strengthened with BFRP and one un-strengthened comparative beam. The experimental result shows that the strengthened beams perform remarkably in terms of yield strength, ultimate strength and ductility. BFRP has good prospects in retrofitting and strengthening of concrete structures which require good ductility and corrosion resistance.