Maciej Szumigała

Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars are a new material used in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. They present such properties as high tensile strength, low modulus of elasticity and shear strength. Due to these mechanical properties, flexural behavior of BFRP RC elements is significantly different to that of traditional steel RC. This paper presents the results of an experimental and theoretical study of the short-term flexural behaviour of a series of simply supported BFRP RC beams. The beams were tested under four-point bending. The main objective of this paper was to investigate deflections of the beams depending on reinforcement ratio. The results of experiments were compared with code formulations and prediction models.

In this paper, the problem of corrosion in structural elements made of materials which are considered as corrosion resistant is discussed. The paper presents an analysis of the reasons for corrosion damage to structural elements used in civil engineering. The main aim of the work was to identify the potential causes of corrosion and to formulate recommendations that allow the selection of the best structural material properties in order to counteract the negative impact of the corrosive environment. For this purpose, stainless steel ventilation duct corrosion in an indoor swimming pool hall is analysed. An assessment of the nature of the reasons for the potential damage of ventilation ducts is performed based on macroscopic inspection. This allowed the determination of the type and nature of the existing corrosion of stainless steel. The analysis of the results of the chemical composition of the material provided by the gravimetric method and the results of the corrosion products report provided further information. Based on its conclusions, recommendations in order to avoid this type of corrosion in aggressive indoor swimming pool environments are formulated. Next, the problem of corrosion of aluminium in contact with steel in new aluminium and concrete composite structures which consist of an aluminium beam, steel trapezoidal sheeting and a concrete slab is analysed. Moreover, recommendations in order to avoid this type of corrosion are formulated. The presented analyses can be a valuable source of information on corrosion and protection methods in specific cases of building structures.

Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars can be a good alternative to traditional reinforcing steel. This type of reinforcement has low modulus of elasticity, hence deflections and cracking in BFRP RC flexural elements are larger than these found in typical RC members. As a result, the design of FRP RC beams is often governed by the serviceability limit states (SLS). This paper presents chosen results of a research programme in which 6 beams have been tested under four-point bending. The beams were varied in terms of the reinforcement ratio and diameter of rebars. The main goal of this paper was to investigate crack spacing and crack width of the beams. The results of experiments were compared with code formulations.