Experimental research on mechanical properties of transverse enhanced and high-temperature-resistant CFRP tendons for prestressed structure

Poor transverse mechanical properties and the weakness of fire resistance are two main problems to limit the application of commercial Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). In this paper, a new type of transverse enhanced and high-temperature-resistant CFRP tendons made of T700 carbon fibre precursor and polyfunctional epoxy resin is designed and produced through the pultrusion process. A series of tests were conducted to analyze the transverse and longitudinal mechanical properties of the new CFRP tendons with three types of diameters. A comparison of the results indicates that the new CFRP tendons have better transverse mechanical behaviours than the commercial CFRP tendons, and can maintain superior longitudinal mechanical behaviour. With the increase of the diameter, the transverse performance of new CFRP tendons decreases. The improvement in transverse performance of the new CFRP tendons provides a better chance to develop the anchor and promote the widespread application of CFRP tendons in prestressed structures. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.