NEXCEL Project Paper 47

Release time: 2025/12/23 Publisher： original Views：

Design, preparation, and mechanical properties of glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic self-anchor plate cable exposed in alkaline solution environment

Prof. Li Chenggao from Harbin Institute of Technology, Principal Investigator of NEXCEL 2024 SFP project "Performance research and demonstration of thermoplastic composite stirrups," and Prof. Xian Guijun, project key member, have published a paper entitled "Design, preparation, and mechanical properties of glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic self-anchor plate cable exposed in alkaline solution environment" in "Polymer Composites"(SCI) recently.

Abstract：

The reliable anchorage and long-term durability of high-performance fiber reinforced polymer composites were the decisive factors for engineering applications owing to the anisotropy of materials and the complexity of service environment. In this paper, an innovative glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (GFRPP) self-anchor plate cable was developed to utilize the high toughness/durability of thermoplastic resin and self-anchor load-bearing system. The effects of different reinforcement methods and cable arc angles (10°, 20°, and 30°) on mechanical properties of plate cable were investigated. Water absorption behavior and mechanical properties immersed in alkali solution were tested to evaluate its long-term service behavior. The thermogravimetric and surface morphology analysis were conducted to reveal the performance evolution mechanism. The results showed through the combination of secondary melting, carbon fiber winding confinement and epoxy reinforcements, the splitting failure of transition zone and interlaminar cracking failure of straight zone for plate cable were effectively avoided. The tensile strength retention of plate cable for arc angles of 10°, 20° and 30° were 45.6%, 41.3%, and 34.0% of GFRPP plate, respectively. Larger arc angle increased the curvature of arc-straight transition zone and stress concentration near the straight section, leading to interlaminar splitting failure of plate cable at weak transition zone. The tensile strength of plate cable with the immersion time deteriorated obviously until the lowest retention of 29.7%. The degradation mechanism was mainly due to the etching of glass fibers in alkali solution and the formation of pores and internal defects, including fiber/resin interface debonding and resin swelling. The research results were of significance for solving the anchoring problems and promoting the long-term service reliability in bridge applications.

Paper details:

Polymer Composites, Volume 45, Issue 13 pp. 11687-11700

DOI：https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.28591