Serviceability of one-way high-volume fly ash-self-compacting concrete slabs reinforced with basalt FRP bars

This paper aims at investigating the serviceability behaviour of high-volume fly ash-self-compacting concrete (HVFA-SCC)slabs reinforced with basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP)bars through an experimental test and theoretical analysis. Those structural components are suggested to solve problems of corrosion in steel reinforcement and high carbon footprint in cement-based concrete together. A series of full-scale concrete slabs were constructed and tested using a four-point loading in this experimental test. The test variables were concrete material type, percentage of polypropylene fibre in HVFA-SCC, reinforcing material and BFRP reinforcement percentage. This experimental investigation presented the test results on cracking behaviour and deflection of those test slabs. The effect of those variables on serviceability behaviour of the test specimens was analysed and discussed. Subsequently, the representative theoretical methods in the literatures were adopted to predict deflection and crack behaviour of the BFRP reinforced HVFA-SCC slabs. The comparison of the test results and the predicted results were adopted to evaluate the accuracy of the existing deflection, cracking-load, crack-spacing and crack-width theoretical models. The modification of some empirical coefficients was discussed and studied. Finally, an accurate theoretical method for predicting maximum crack width was proposed using the test results of BFRP reinforced HVFA-SCC slabs.