Iwao Sasaki

Load-Bearing Properties of an FRP Bridge after Nine Years of Exposure

FRP is used for corrosion protection and/or as structural members utilizing its anti-corrosion properties. Moreover, since the weight of a superstructure can be significantly reduced due to its specific strength, FRP is expected to offer structural functionalities such as rapid construction, substructure downsizing, and improved seismic performance. We constructed an FRP bridge made entirely of pultruded and hand-lay-up GFRP materials, and have been monitoring its functionality and durability. This paper reports the changes in structural load-bearing behavior during nine years of field exposure. Loading response of the FRP bridge after long-term exposure was almost the same as that just after its completion and deterioration in structural performance has not been observed in nine years. The results prove that FRP materials have good durability and functionality for long-term field exposure as structural materials for bridges.

Long-term durability of FRP cables under maritime conditions

Six types of FRP cables were subjected to an exposure test lasting more than fifteen years under maritime conditions, and the retrieved cables were evaluated mainly by SEM and FT-IR microscopy. Loss of surface resin was observed for all the tested FRP cables; however, deterioration between the fiber and matrix resin was not found by SEM. Observation by FT-IR microscopy detected surface deterioration of AFRP cables, and the feasibility of this method for evaluating the deterioration of some FRP cables was indicated.