Corrosion behavior of embedded pad hook in glass fiber reinforced concrete

Glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) comprises of hydration products of cement or cement plus sand, and glass fibers which take part in the concrete as reinforcement characteristics. GFRC has been used for over 50 years in several construction elements, such as facade panels, decorative no recoverable formwork, and other products. However, various anchor elements and pad hooks are needed to attach large or small parts made of GFRC panels to the main structure of the buildings. The corrosion rate of embedded metal fasteners over time is related to the water impermeability properties of the GFRC elements. In this study, corrosion of an electro galvanized pad hook embedded in 10–20 mm of the GFRC panel was investigated as a result of the salt spray test performed in accordance with ASTM B 117 standards. At the end of the experiment, the embedded pad hook was taken from the GFRC and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy methods. The results showed that the embedded pad hook in the GFRC, which was examined in the test procedures comply with the TS EN 12467 standards, was not corroded by 120-h test carried out in accordance with ASTM B 117 standards.