Preliminary development of a durability model for concrete filled FRP piles

摘要

Problems associated with the use of traditional pile materials in marine environments include concrete durability, steel corrosion, and marine borer attack and degradation of timber piles. A new pile type consisting of concrete-filled fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes is currently being evaluated as a possible alternative. Concrete-filled FRP piles, if found viable, could offer several advantages such as improved durability in harsh marine environments and the associated cost reduction in terms of life-cycle. However, to date, these composite piles have not gained wide acceptance in civil engineering practice due to a short track record of performance and the absence of long-term durability data. This paper presents preliminary results on the durability assessment of concrete-filled FRP piles.