This paper presents mechanical, microstructural and physical characterization of concrete-filled FRP tubes (CFFTs) used as structural elements such as pier columns and marine piles. GFRP tubes filled with normal concrete were exposed to salt solution at 23, 40, and 50°C to accelerate the effect of the environment and of the salt solution. The measured apparent hoop tensile strength of the tube before and after exposure were considered as a measure of the durability performance of the specimens and were used for long-term properties prediction based on the Arrhenius theory. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the aging effect on the CFFT. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the durability and to predict the long-term behaviour of the GFRP tubes used in the CFFT system. The test results showed that the GFRP tubes investigated in this study present a very good stability in the environment simulating the field service conditions. The maximum observed reduction in hoop tensile strength under the rather aggressive environment was 20%.
展开▼