Study on Corrosion Characteristics of Concrete‐Filled CFRP‐Steel Tube Piles under Hygrothermal Environment
Honghan Dong, Yujue Zhou, Ning Zhuang
Abstract
The corrosion damage of pile foundations caused by a hygrothermal environment is a significant factor that influences the service life of high‐pile wharf structures. The concrete‐filled CFRP‐steel tube (CFRP‐CFST) pile is a composite structure composed of external Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets and inner concrete‐filled steel tubes. It has a high‐bearing capacity and excellent corrosion resistance and is an ideal structure for pile foundations in aggressive environments. In this paper, twelve CFRP‐CFST pile specimens with diameters of 114 mm and heights of 1200 mm and another forty‐two CFRP‐steel plate specimens with CFRP widths of 30–50 mm were built. A high hot and humid environment simulation system was designed to conduct corrosion experiments with these specimens. At different theoretical corrosion degrees, the half‐cell potential, corrosion products, corrosion expansion, and adhesive property were investigated. The test results showed an obvious increase in the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance when the concrete‐filled steel tube was externally bonded to CFRP sheets. The experimental results show that the CFRP‐CFST pile is an effective way to protect piles from corrosion and can be widely used for high‐pile wharfs in aggressive environments.