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February 2, 2026Buildings0 citationsOpen Access

Effect of Salt Frost Cycles on the Normal Bond Behavior of the CFRP–Concrete Interface

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HCHao ChengYangzhou Polytechnic InstituteYYYushi YinTSTian SuShandong University of Technology

Key Points

  • This research aims to evaluate how salt frost cycles affect the bond behavior between CFRP and concrete.
  • Conducted single-sided salt-frost tests on 126 CFRP-concrete specimens.
  • Evaluated factors: surface roughness, freeze-thaw cycle count, concrete strength, and CFRP type.
  • Developed a prediction model based on cycle count and roughness with high accuracy.
  • Bond performance improves with increased surface roughness, especially in f2 interface specimens.
  • CFRP cloth retains better bond strength than CFRP plates, which had a 26.90% greater bond strength loss after six cycles.
  • A critical change in failure mode occurs between six and eight freeze-thaw cycles.

Abstract

The durability of the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP)–concrete interface is a critical indicator for assessing the service life of composite structures in cold regions. This study systematically investigates the normal bond behavior under coupled deicing salt and freeze–thaw cycles through single-sided salt-frost tests on 126 specimens. The influence of surface roughness, number of freeze–thaw cycles, concrete strength grade, and CFRP material type was systematically evaluated. The results demonstrate that bond behavior is positively correlated with surface roughness, with the f2 interface exhibiting optimal performance and increasing the ultimate capacity by up to 76.61% compared to the smooth interface. CFRP cloth showed superior bond retention compared to CFRP plates, which experienced a bond strength loss rate up to 26.90% higher than cloth specimens after six cycles. A critical performance threshold was identified between six and eight cycles, where the failure mode transitioned from cohesive adhesive failure to brittle interfacial debonding. Concrete matrix strength had a negligible effect compared to the dominant environmental damage. A two-parameter prediction model based on cycle count and roughness was established with high accuracy. SEM analysis confirmed that epoxy resin cracking, fiber–matrix debonding, and microcrack propagation in the concrete surface layer were the fundamental causes of macroscopic mechanical degradation. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing interface treatment and predicting the structural integrity of CFRP-strengthened systems in salt-frost regions.

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Cite This Study

Cheng et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6980ff19c1c9540dea811ca1https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16030586
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