Effects of exposure to saline humidity on bond between GFRP and concrete

Based on extensive experimental program on effects of artificial environmental aging, its effects on strength and bond between outer GFRP reinforcement of RC beams and concrete are described and interpreted. Artificial aging of beams consisted of saline water immersion, salt fogging and cyclic tidal-like action causing degradation on mechanical properties that are reported and examined. Computational modeling of these effects is also preliminarily described, considering post-aged constitutive properties of the component materials and relevant non-linear material properties, to study bond-slip and beam response. Tests to develop a shear Mohr–Coulomb envelope as a rupture criterion on the layers adjacent to the interface are also presented.