Experimental and Analytical Models of Flexural Behavior of Prestressed Reactive Powder Concrete Electric Poles with BFRP Bars

To investigate the flexural performance of prestressed reactive powder concrete (RPC) electric poles reinforced with basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars, cantilever flexural tests were carried out on three prestressed RPC poles with BFRP bars and one counterpart with steel bars. The failure modes, crack distributions, deformation characteristics, and flexural behavior of the BFRP bar-reinforced RPC poles were systematically examined. Test results demonstrate that compared with the steel bar-reinforced RPC pole, the cracking moment of the BFRP bar-reinforced RPC pole is decreased by 7.69%, while the ultimate flexural strength and ultimate deflection are increased by 12.64% and 12.78%, respectively. Meanwhile, the average crack spacing is reduced by 22%, and both the maximum crack width and its growth rate are lower. Based on the plane section assumption and force equilibrium conditions, theoretical calculation equations for the cracking moment and flexural strength of prestressed RPC poles with BFRP bars are derived, and the calculated values are in good agreement with the experimental results. This study provides a theoretical basis and experimental support for the design and engineering application of circular-section RPC structures reinforced with BFRP bars.