Durability of Fibre Reinforced Polymers in Exposure to Dual Environment of Seawater Sea Sand Concrete and Seawater

The consequence of exposure to the dual environment of seawater sea sand concrete (SWSSC) on the inner surface and seawater (SW) on the outer surface on the durability of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) confining tubes has received very limited research attention. The durability of FRPs fabricated with different fibre types was investigated for the application of SWSSC filled tubes and SWSSC-filled double-skin tubes exposed to the external environment of SW. The colour and shininess of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) surfaces generally stayed unchanged even after 6 months of exposure to the dual environment, whereas basalt-fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP) and glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubes suffered degradation. The degradation led to a ~20–30% increase in pH; however, the pH increase in the external SW was more pronounced when the internal solution was SWSSC. The extent of degradation was greater in BFRP that in GFRP. The investigation also included a specialised investigation of the degradation at the fibre–matrix interface by fracturing specimens in liquid nitrogen.