Creep performance and analysis of glass fiber reinforced glulam beams under the influence of climatic conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Owing to its light weight, ease of production, and good mechanical performance, glass fiber reinforcement has often been chosen to improve the flexural performance of glulam and to repair it during the service life. However, the long-term service performance of glulam beam reinforced with glass fibers has been studied under mostly controlled climatic conditions. This study evaluated the creep behavior of unreinforced glulam (UG) and glulams reinforced with glass fiber cloth (GFC) and glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) sheets, respectively, for 18,240 h as a function of stress level under uncontrolled and variable climatic conditions. The results showed that the relative creep of the UG beams after 18,240 h measured at 1.28–1.62, and the creep deformation of these beams fluctuated significantly due to climate change. After 18,240 h, the relative creep was measured at 1.41–1.51 for the glulam reinforced with GFC, and 1.37–1.44 for the glulam reinforced with GFRP sheet. In particular, the GFRP sheet effectively suppressed the relative creep to 1.70–1.88 after 50 years by inducing a consistent creep behavior regardless of stress level while reducing creep fluctuations under variable climatic conditions.