Abstract

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons are being investigated as an alternative to steel in pre-stressed concrete applications. This is because CFRP tendons do not corrode and are much lighter than steel. However, for durability considerations it is still important to better understand the long-term behaviour of this material when it is exposed to moisture whilst acting as pre-tensioned reinforcement in concrete. Many hypotheses have been proposed regarding the behaviour of CFRP rods in pre-stressed applications when exposed to moisture. However there has been little work done in furthering the investigation into the combined effects of moisture and stress, particularly in pre-stressed concrete applications. This project investigates the two important considerations when looking at the effects of prolonged moisture exposure: i) dimensional changes of the CFRP , and ii) changes to the behaviour of the CFRP matrix. Both these considerations could potentially influence the bond behaviour between the CFRP and concrete in pre-stressed applications.