Abstract
Pultrusion is an easy molding method of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) to obtain a long composite material with a uniform cross-section at relatively low cost. In some cases, pultruded FRPs are now used in bridges and deck projects. Since the application of pultruded FRP as a structural material is increasing, a study on the durability of pultruded FRP under outdoor conditions is necessary in terms of safety. Some studies have shown that pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) exhibits a slight reduction in mechanical properties during outdoor exposure. Since pultruded GFRP consists of multi-layers, the change of mechanical properties in each layer is important to understand. In this study, an outdoor exposure test on pultruded GFRP for 10 years was conducted with three types of pultruded GFRP, which have different laminate systems, including surface-coated specimens of each type. Changes of strength and elastic modulus due to outdoor exposure were discussed with a focus on the contribution of each layer based on the rule of mixtures.
Highlights
The use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) as a structural material has increased due to its high resistance to corrosion and low weight
There were some studies on the durability of pultruded FRP used for construction with mainly glass fibers [1,2,3,4,5], but many of them only focused on moist environments
As for the use of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement, GFRP bars embedded in concrete for seven years were investigated to assess the structural reliability of a bridge deck reinforced with GFRP bars [6,7]
Summary
The use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) as a structural material has increased due to its high resistance to corrosion and low weight. Pultrusion of FRP is a easy method that can produce long sections of material with a uniform cross-section at relatively low cost. This makes FRP a structural material which can be used for construction. There were some studies on the durability of pultruded FRP used for construction with mainly glass fibers [1,2,3,4,5], but many of them only focused on moist environments. Some studies on the durability of press-molded or hand lay-up GFRP investigated by outdoor exposure tests were reported [8,9,10]
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