Uniaxial Compression Behavior of Short Square and Circular RC Piles Constructed with GFRP Bars and Spirals Preconditioned in Simulated Marine Environments

The current experimental investigation assessed the durability of reinforced concrete (RC) piles with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and spirals exposed to simulated marine environments. A total of 18 specimens—9 square (300 mm in cross section) and 9 circular (304 mm in diameter)—and short RC piles were prepared and tested under uniaxial compression. For each pile geometry, three specimens were reinforced with pristine GFRP bars as reference piles. The other six piles were reinforced with GFRP bars that had been exposed to marine environments at subtropical regions (22°C) or accelerated aging temperature (60°C) for 12 months, three specimens for each environment. Mechanical property and microstructural analysis tests were carried out to characterize the conditioned/aged GFRP bars. The GFRP-RC piles conditioned at 60°C exhibited similar behavior to their reference counterparts. The current environmental reduction factors for GFRP reinforcing bars stipulated in design codes and guidelines are conservative. A more accurate design equation to calculate the axial capacity of piles should consider the contribution of longitudinal GFRP bars even when exposed to marine environments.