Performance of FRP confined and unconfined engineered cementitious composite exposed to seawater

Conventional concrete suffers from brittle failures under mechanical behaviour, and lack of ductility results in the loss of human life and property in earthquake zones. Therefore, the degree of ductility becomes significant in seismic regions. This paper investigates the influence of poly-vinyl alcohol fibers, basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics on the ductility and mechanical performance of low (LCFA) and high (HCFA) calcium fly ash-based engineered cementitious composite concrete. The study also focuses on the mechanical behaviour of the CFRP and BFRP materials using different matrix types exposed to 3.5% seawater environment. Cyclic loading and scanning electron microscopy observations were also performed to see the effect of chloride attack on mechanical performance and ductility of the specimens. In addition, utilization of CFRP and BFRP fabrics as a retrofit material is also evaluated. Results indicated that the degree of ductility and mechanical performance were found to be superior for the CFRP-engineered cementitious composite hybrid specimens under ambient environment, while LCFA-CFRP hybrid specimens showed better performance under seawater environment. The effect of matrix type was also found significant when engineered cementitious composite is used together with fiber-reinforced polymer materials. In addition, both fiber-reinforced polymer materials can be used as a retrofit material under seawater environment.