Durability of recycled fiber-reinforced polymer piling in aggressive environments

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites represent an alternative construction material without many of the performance disadvantages of traditional materials. The use of FRP as a pile material can eliminate deterioration problems of conventional piling materials in waterfront environments and aggressive soils. A 1-year experimental study was conducted to assess the durability of piling made of recycled plastics in aggressive soils for long-term usage in civil infrastructure applications. An accelerated testing protocol permitting prediction of the behavior of plastic piles was developed. Specimens were exposed to solutions with fixed acidic, basic, and neutral pH at elevated temperatures. Compressive strength was used as an index to quantify the degradation of the specimens. An Arrhenius model was used to predict the service life of the product. An estimated 25% loss in strength at 10% strain is projected to take 21 years for coupon specimens incubated at a pH of 2 and 25 years for coupon specimens incubated at a pH of 12.