Bond between Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Tubes and Sea Water Sea Sand Concrete: Mechanisms and Effective Parameters: Critical Overview and Discussion

Using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) in construction avoids corrosion issues associated with the use of traditional steel reinforcement, while seawater and sea sand concrete (SWSSC) reduces environmental issues and resource shortages caused by the production of traditional concrete. The paper gives an overview of the current research on the bond performance between FRP tube and concrete with particular focus on SWSSC. The review follows a thematic broad-to-narrow approach. It reflects on the current research around the significance and application of FRP and SWSSC and discusses important issues around the bond strength and cyclic behaviour of tubular composites. A review of recent studies of bond strength between FRP and concrete and steel and concrete under static or cyclic loading using pushout tests is presented. In addition, the influence of different parameters on the pushout test results are summarised. Finally, recommendations for future studies are proposed.

Stability and load-displacement behaviour of axially cyclic loaded displacement piles in sands

Uncertainties regarding the axial cyclic behaviour of piles driven in sands led to an extended programme of calibration chamber instrumented pile experiments. Broad trends are identified and interpreted with reference to normalised cyclic loading parameters Qcyclic/QT, Qmean/QT and N. Cyclic damage is shown to be related to changes in the radial effective stress regime close to the shaft. While stable loading leads to little or no change as cycling continues in the sand masses’ effective stress regime, high-level cyclic loading can affect stresses far out into the sand mass. The test systems’ chamber-to-pile diameter ratio has a significant impact on outcomes. Piles installed in loose, fine, sand are far more susceptible to cyclic loading than in denser, coarser sand. Little or no change in pile stiffness was seen in tests that remained within the stable cyclic region, even over 10,000 or more cycles. Unstable tests lost their stiffness rapidly and metastable cases showed intermediate behaviours. The permanent deflections developed under cycling depend on the combined influence of Qcyclic/QT, Qmean/QT and N. While model tests provide many valuable insights into the behaviour of piles driven in sand, they are unable to capture some key features observed in the field.