Corrosion
of prestressing steel in precast concrete is a significant problem for bridges
constructed in coastal
waters. Carbon fiber-
reinforced polymer (CFRP)
reinforcement has been suggested as a non-corrosive replacement for steel in
highly corrosive environments. One drawback, however, is the lack of ductility
that CFRP flexural reinforcement provides when the section is taken to its full
capacity under extreme events such as earthquakes or barge impacts. This paper
covers flexural testing of circular hollow concrete sections constructed using
CFRP bars for flexural reinforcement and CFRP grid for concrete confinement. In
addition, the pile sections were manufactured using the spun-cast process
providing a unique combination of materials and manufacturing processes.
Experimental results available from the flexural tests indicated no significant
improvement in the ductility of the grid reinforced piles compared to the
control piles but that can be attributed to damaged confinement reinforcement
and/or failure modes involving shear.