Current Market Trends of Basalt FRP Rebars

Concrete structures made with traditional black steel reinforcement are deteriorating at an alarming pace due to corrosion effects. Many research institutes across the globe are spending lots of resources to overcome this problem by replacing steel reinforcement with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars because these bars are corrosion resistant. FRP rebars are a product of composite materials with raw materials made from sized fibers and thermoset polymeric resin. The fibers can be made from various materials and glass fibers have been most dominant in the US market due to historical developments. However, basalt fiber reinforced polymer rebars (BFRP rebars) are now becoming more popular. With a significant increase in demand for such materials, the number of manufacturers increased notably over the past two decades. Because the production of FRP rebars has not been standardized yet, a wide range of products with several different material characteristics and mechanical strength are now available in the market. Due to these dissimilarities, proper standardization of material properties and an adequate definition of strength requirements have been a challenge for researchers. To evaluate the current trends in FRP rebar production and to capture an industry profile, 23 international BFRP manufacturers from 10 different countries were surveyed for specific material and production aspects. The survey mainly focused on production capacities, rebar types, material properties, and strength characteristics. It was found that majority of the produced rebars have a circular cross section with sand coat or helically wrapped surface to improve the bond-to-concrete property. BFRP rebar producers mostly manufacture their products on demand, and all manufacturers produce the most common size # 3 rebar, while 80 % of the manufacturers also produce # 5 rebars.

Keywords: Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars; Thermoset polymeric resin; Production capabilities; Manufacturer; Standardization

Abbreviations: Rebar: Reinforcing bars; FRP: Fiber reinforced polymer; BFRP: Basalt fiber reinforced polymer; CFRP: Carbon fiber reinforced polymer; GFRP: Glass fiber reinforced polymer