Concrete Confinement with BRM Systems: Experimental Investigation

 ABSTRACT

The paper deals with a new class of composites based on the use of basalt fibers bonded using a cement-based matrix (Basalt Reinforced Mortar, BRM) as an innovative strengthening material for RC members. In particular, the potential of BRM system as a confinement technique has been investigated by means of experimental tests on concrete cylindrical specimens. Two different confinement schemes were experimentally investigated in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed innovative strengthening technique: 1) uniaxial Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) laminates; 2) bidirectional basalt laminates pre-impregnated with epoxy resin and then bonded with a cement based mortar. The main experimental outcomes are discussed and reported in the paper. The results of the experimental study have shown that BRM confining system could become a promising solution to overcome some limitations of commercially available epoxy based FRP mainly related to both resins and reinforcing

fibers typically used.