Pre-stressing using basalt fibre bars: an experimental investigation on a new frontier of precast concrete

Basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars are proposed as a pre-stressed reinforcement for precast concrete elements because of their enhanced resistance to aggressive agents which makes them far more corrosion resistant than steel Moreover, the lower elastic modulus enables a limit on the instantaneous and time-dependant losses and makes their application to pre-stressed precast concrete particularly promising. A full scale experimental investigation has been carried out in the framework of the EU funded research project Eirocrete at Banagher Precast Concrete Ltd on a precast concrete voided light-weight floor slab pre-stressed with basalt reinforced polymer bars and made with fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (FRSCC). The experiment was aimed at verifying the correct functioning of the pre-stressing system, typically employed for steel tendons, the time-dependant behaviour of the beam during service loading and its resistance, allowing to obtain information about reliability and robustness of this technology.