Tests on seismic performance of corroded reinforced concrete shear walls repaired with basalt fiber-reinforced polymers

Abstract Reinforcement corrosion caused by carbonation of the concrete cover or excessive chloride concentration primarily leads to the deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. To address the issue of reinforcement corrosion in RC structures, basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) is today slowly gaining acceptability as an effective alternative to repair corroded RC structures in seismic areas. The present paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of using BFRP as externally bonded jackets applied on the surface of the RC shear walls. Seven medium-rise walls with aspect ratios of 1.6 were tested under the combination of constant axial load and cyclic lateral load, including one original mock-up, three corroded mock-ups with various corrosion rates, and three corroded mock-ups repaired with BFRP jackets. The seismic performance of original and repaired mock-ups with respect to failure mode, hysteretic behavior, stiffness, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and strength was discussed. In addition, a strut-and-tie model in consideration of reinforcement corrosion and FRP confinement as well as a model for confining stress distribution of cross-sections featuring large aspect ratio (over 2) were proposed. The test and theoretical results show that application of BFRP jackets is able to minimize the corrosion concerns and restore the seismic performance of corroded RC shear walls.