Sustainable Design of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymer Reinforced Concrete Structures

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Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) reinforcement for reinforced concrete is two times stronger and four times lighter than steel reinforcement. This means fewer resources would be required for reinforced concrete structures than conventional steel reinforced concrete, facilitating safer construction of reinforced concrete structures and more efficient logistics. Unlike steel, it is naturally resistant to chemicals and does not corrode. Hence, it can be utilised more effectively in aggressive environments. Its global warming potential is lower than mild steel by 74% and stainless steel by 88%. The reduction in carbon emissions is mainly due to the lower energy demands of a single-step extraction from basaltic rock melt.Innovative solutions such as BFRP reinforced concrete that are both environmentally friendly and cost-effective would pave the way for the industry to reduce its energy consumption and carbon emissions. BFRP reinforcement also allows the development of further innovative solutions due to its durability. Its resistance to aggressive environments and lack of corrosion allows for carbon capture concrete technologies that would otherwise lead to corrosion in steel reinforcement. Furthermore, it allows the use of seawater, which reduces the consumption of precious potable water resources.While BFRP rebars are manufactured in the UK and are readily available for construction, UK-based engineering consultancies are unable to specify the product as it is difficult to comply with their professional indemnity insurance policy. It is possible to specify BFRP reinforcement in reinforced concrete when in compliance with the 'design assisted by testing' principle set in the BS EN 1990 UK design standard.BFRP applications that comply with UK standards are limited due to the currently available test data of UK-manufactured BFRP rebars. The proposed testing for this project aims to increase the applications possible with BFRP reinforcement as well as optimise design and improve cost and environmental benefits:-Reliable aggressive environment exposure testing data to BFRP rebar in line with exposure conditions defined in BS EN 206, BS 8500, ISO 10406-1 to determine bar strength retention and optimise the specification of BFRP reinforcement and dowels and environmental performance.-Testing for the determination of BFRP reinforced concrete with and without crack control recycled plastic fibres to facilitate design specification in line with crack width limits set in BS EN 1992\.-Testing of a bespoke BFRP dowel solution to facilitate the specification of BFRP dowels for jointed reinforced concrete construction.