Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
The use of lightweight construction material with high corrosion resistance and low cost plays an important role in the design and construction of marine structures such as waterfronts. One of the most common methods for strengthening the structures is composite fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) sheet that is used for member retrofitting including wood plastic composite (WPC). The WPC material is produced from wood and compressed resin, which has good mechanical properties as well as economic benefits. The main problem of WPC reinforced with FRP sheets is the debonding of the sheet from WPC surface, which leads to premature and non-economic failure in members. One of the existing methods to solve this problem is surface preparation. However, surface preparation of wood plastic composite has some additional problems, such as operational cost, environmental pollution, etc. Therefore, to avoid debonding, another method has been used, known as the grooving method at the lower parts of beams. The laboratory used 50 I-shaped specimens with the same geometrical and mechanical properties. Initially, some slots such as longitudinal, transverse and diagonal grooves were created on the surface of specimens and filled by an epoxy. All beams were armed using one or two layers of GFRP sheets embedded at the lower part and were tested under four-point flexural loading. Grooves of different shapes, various widths and depths as well as the number of reinforcement layers were determined for considering their effect on the beam's behaviour. The results expressed that the debonding of FRP sheets can be delayed by selecting the longitudinal grooves with certain width and depth, which also leads to resistance improvement.
Highlights
In the design and construction of waterfront structures, there is a need for development of a corrosion resistant, lightweight, cost effective and environmentally friendly structural material
Experimental results The experimental specimens used in this study were wood plastic composite (WPC) specimens without reinforcement, strengthened with GFRP sheets and subjected to four-point flexural loading tests
As for WPC beams that were reinforced with two layers of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) sheet, their average rupture strengths without and with surface preparation was up to 9.67 and 10.63 KN, respectively, which shows the increase of 96% due to strengthening with FRP plates and 10% due to strengthening and surface preparation
Summary
In the design and construction of waterfront structures, there is a need for development of a corrosion resistant, lightweight, cost effective and environmentally friendly structural material. In comparison to onshore structures, these structures always have a shorter life cycle Such materials as steel, concrete and wood are used to build waterfront structures. A lightweight option with high corrosion resistance and low cost is important for the design and construction of such structures as waterfronts. This might be the reason for the growing popularity of Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs), which are lightweight and resistant to deterioration and corrosion. Modification of mechanical and physical properties of WPCs can lead to development of an industrial and non-deformable product
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
