Accelerated Degradation of Recycled Plastic Piling in Aggressive Soils

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites represent an alternative construction material without many of the performance disadvantages of traditional materials. The use of fiber-reinforced polymer as a pile material can eliminate deterioration problems of conventional piling materials in waterfront environments and aggressive soils. This paper presents the preliminary results of an experimental study conducted to assess the durability of piling made of recycled plastics in aggressive soils for long-term usage in civil infrastructure applications. An accelerated testing protocol permitting prediction of the behavior of plastic piles was developed. Specimens were exposed to solutions with fixed acidic, basic, and neutral pH at elevated temperatures. Compressive strength was used as an index to quantify the degradation of the specimens. An Arrhenius model was used to predict the service life of the product.