10th International Conference on Composite Science and Technology ICCST/10 A.L. Araújo, J.R. Correia, C.M. Mota Soares, et al. (Editors) © IDMEC 2015 1 BOND PROPERTIES OF GLASS FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER BARS WITH FLY-ASH BASED GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE Biruk Hailu Tekle1*, Amar Khennane † , Obada Kayali †† *PhD student School of Engineering and Information Technology, Univ. of New South Wales, Canberra biruk.tekle@student.adfa.edu.au † Senior Lecturer School of Engineering and Information Technology, Univ. of New South Wales, Canberra a.khennane@adfa.edu.au †† Associate Professor School of Engineering and Information Technology, Univ. of New South Wales, Canberra O.Kayali@adfa.edu.au Key words: Geopolymer concrete, GFRP rebar, bond properties, bond slip. Summary: Bond behavior is an important issue in the design and performance of reinforced concrete structures. In this research the bond property between glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars, a corrosion resistant substitute to steel bars, and fly-ash based Geopolymer Cement (GPC) concrete, a more environmental friendly alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete, is investigated. When compared to OPC concrete, fly-ash based GPC concrete has a different micro structures and hydration process, which may affect its bond performance. A total of 18 pull-out specimens containing 16 mm GFRP rebar embedded in GPC and OPC concrete cylinders with 100 mm diameter and 170 mm height were prepared. Embedment lengths of three, six, and nine times the rebar diameter were taken as the main test variables. For each specimen, the test results include the bond failure mode, the average bond strength, the slip at the loaded and free end and the bond–slip relationship curves. With these test results, the performance of GFRP in GPC and OPC concretes are compared. Furthermore, the effect of embedment length on bond strength of GPC and OPC concrete is carefully investigated. The average bond strength values revealed the higher bond performance of GFRP bars in GPC concrete. 1 INTRODUCTION Corrosion of steel reinforcement in different structural members results in a premature deterioration and failure of the structure. This especially happens when the reinforced concrete structure is exposed to aggressive environments such as those encountered in coastal areas, chemical plants, or involving de-icing salts. So far, methods such as concrete additives, galvanization and epoxy coating of the reinforcing steel, and the use of cathodic protection systems have been applied. However, corrosion issues are yet to be completely eliminated. Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and geopolymer concrete currently stand out as ideal replacements for steel and OPC concrete respectively. FRP is mainly based on thermoset polymers vinyl ester and glass (GFRP) or carbon fibers (CFRP) and are characterized by high tensile strength, high durability, light weight, and electromagnetic