# Experimental Study on Flexural Capacity of Corroded RC Slabs Reinforced with Basalt Fiber Textile
## 1 Introduction  
Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are continuously exposed to the deleterious effects of environmental attacks, which lead to the corrosion of the reinforcing bars. This is especially so in harsh environments involving high chlorine ion conditions as well as those where deleting salt aggravates the corrosion of reinforcing bars in RC structures. At present, many RC structures experience unacceptable loss in serviceability or safety much earlier than anticipated [1]. In recent years, the research and application of retrofitting and rehabilitating concrete structures with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) has developed incrementally and rapidly [2, 3]. A number of studies have shown that the application of CFRP as an external strengthening system would effectively increase the ultimate loading carrying capacity and flexural stiffness of corroded RC beams [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], but the shortcoming lies in the significant reduction in the deflection capacity of beams andtheir ductility [10]. Meanwhile, some problems have emerged with the usage of externally bonded CFRP composites, including high cost, poor high-temperature resistance, no waterproofing of surfaces, incompatibility of epoxy resins and cement-substrate materials, and environmental hazards [11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16]. Numerous studies had demonstrated that the performance of externally bonded strengthened structures strongly rely on the textile and matrix type. Compared with CFRP, basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) provides a cheaper solution and higher capability to strengthen the structural elements similarly to CFRP [17; 18]. Although the improvement of the load capacity of the flexural RC member reinforced with BFRP is slightly lower than that reinforced with CFRP [19; 20], the ductility of the flexural RC member reinforced with BFRP is better [21]. [PERSON] et al. [22; 23; 24] concluded that the load capacity of a corroded RC beam could be effectively improved by strengthening the beam with BFRP, while the extent of improvement was associated with the fiber layers and the initial corrosion state of the beam. An experimental program carried out by [PERSON] et al. [25] focused on the shear performance and failure pattern of a corroded RC beam reinforced with BFRP and produced an accurate prediction model for shear capacity estimation of these strengthened beams. [PERSON] et al. [26] investigated the flexural and shear performance of damaged RC beams that had been confined with a BFRP sheet and found a good correlation between experimental and analytical data. In recent years, a new composite material named textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) or fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) has been widely applied in structural retrofitting [27]. TRM or FRCM consist of high-strength fiber in form of textiles embedded into inorganic materials such as cement-based mortars or fine concrete. This kind of material has advantages over fiber-reinforced polymers, namely, high compatibility between the strengthening layer and the concrete substrates, good durability, resistance at high temperatures, good crack resistance, and ease of multi-layer arrangements. It can be used to repair defects and cracks on the surface of RC structures and reinforce the damaged member, even in harsh environments [28; 29]. Many studies on the flexural performance of RC beams and slabs strengthened with TRM and FRCM have been reported, which show that various textile/fabric-reinforced cementitious materials would be a promising alternative method to FRP in retrofitting structures [30; 31; 32; 33]. [PERSON] et al. [30] compared the mechanical behavior of several types of FRCM for flexural strengthening of RC beams. The results showed that FRCM contributed to an increment in flexural capacity and flexural stiffness of the strengthened beams. [PERSON] et al. [31] discussed the performance of RC slab-type elements strengthened with FRCM and demonstrated the technical viability of this composite material system for strengthened flexural RC members. [PERSON] et al.