Numerical analysis of bonding interface of basalt fibre-reinforced polymer and concrete.

The bonding between basalt fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP) and concrete has a crucial effect on the durability of externally retrofitted concrete structures, because the BFRP–concrete interface is the element most vulnerable to failure. Although numerous experiments have investigated the tensile bonding strength of the FRP–concrete interface, there have been only a limited number of numerical simulations of crack propagation. Therefore, in this study, the tensile bonding strength between BFRP and concrete was analysed numerically using a cohesive zone model (CZM). To validate the numerical modelling results, experiments were conducted under different initial crack widths. To clarify the crack propagation, the representative fracture area technique was applied. According to the numerical and experimental results, the CZM is appropriate for simulating the BFRP–concrete interface. The results also indicate that specimens with no initial cracks suffer only limited cracking at the edge of the surface, whereas the specimen with an initial 10 mm crack width suffered cracking across almost all of its surface. This is due to the reduced effective bonding area of the BFRP–concrete interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]