# Experimental Study on Flexural Capacity of Corroded RC Slabs Reinforced with Basalt Fiber Textile
## 1 Introduction
[32] studied the effectiveness of basalt textiles as reinforcement for strengthening RC beams under monotonic and low-cycle fatigue loads. [PERSON] et al. [33] tested the flexural behavior of TRM-reinforced two-way RC slabs through the design of reinforcement methods, fiber types and layers, initial damage of test pieces, and other impact factors. It showed that TRM substantially increases pre-cracking stiffness, cracking load, post-cracking stiffness, and eventually the flexural capacity of two-way RC slabs. In a comparison between the performance of TRM and FRP strengthened RC beams, [PERSON] et al. [11] and [PERSON] et al. [34] concluded that TRM retrofitting was slightly less effective in terms of enhancing the flexural strength of RC beams but more effective in terms of deflection ductility. On the other hand, the feasibility of using textile/fabric-reinforced cementitious materials to strengthen corroded RC structures have received less attention. To the best of the authors' knowledge, only a few studies, either by [PERSON] et al. [35] or by [PERSON] et al. [36; 37; 38] have documented the performance of using FRCM systems to restore the flexural capacity and deformation ability of corroded beams. [PERSON] et al. [35] compared the flexural performance of a corroded T-beams, which was repaired with carbon and basalt-FRCM systems. It was concluded that the basalt-FRCM system could not restore the original flexural capacity of the uncorroded beam, whereas the carbon-FRCM system restored 109% of the capacity. In a series of studies by [PERSON] et al. [36; 37; 38], corroded RCbeams were repaired with CFRP, carbon-FRCM, and polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO)-FRCM. Test results showed that both carbon- and PBO-FRCM would effectively restore the original flexural capacity of the uncorroded beam. Furthermore, the PBO-FRCM-repaired specimen showed higher ultimate load-carrying capacities than those of CFRP and carbon-FRCM-repaired specimens. In general, textile-reinforced composites are emerging as strengthening and repair materials for concrete structures, mainly due to their stability in harsh environments and their relatively low cost. However, existing studies do not adequately cover the subject of applying basalt textile reinforce materials in strengthening corroded RC members. In addition, few data are available in the literature from comparative research into the effectiveness of the two strengthening composites, basalt textile-reinforced mortar (BTRM) and BFRP, for enhancing the flexural capacity of corroded RC members. The focus of this paper is on an exploratory study to evaluate the flexural behavior of corroded RC slabs strengthened with different types of BTRM and BFRP composites. To the best of the authors' knowledge, it is the first attempt to use basalt textile in combination with two kinds of matrix materials to repair corroded RC slabs, especially when the members are at a high level of corrosion damage. The study comprised an experimental program where 10 corroded RC slabs were constructed and then damaged by accelerated corrosion. A kind of basalt textile with mesh was selected in combination with different matrix materials to strengthen slabs with different degrees of corrosion. All specimens were tested to failure under a four-point load configuration, and the effectiveness of the two strengthening composites in enhancing the flexural performance of the corroded RC slabs were investigated. The test parameters included the initial corrosion situation, the strengthening systems (TRM and FRP), and the number of strengthening layers. Finally, a calculation method is proposed to determine the flexural capacity of strengthened slabs in which the effect of corrosion is considered.