Experimental investigation and modeling of the mechanical properties of construction PMMA at different temperatures

Abstract

Poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) is a polymer material with increasing applications in buildings as an alternative to glass. Compared with glass, PMMA is lightweight, has high light transmittance, and has no risk of self-explosion. PMMA can be bonded to form large components without visible connections through bulk polymerization. PMMA used in construction (construction PMMA) is not toughened by the directional stretching process, which makes it different from the directional PMMA used in aerospace. This study aimed to explore the mechanical properties of construction PMMA. First, uniaxial tensile tests of the base coupons (without bonding areas) and bonding coupons (with bonding areas) at different temperatures (-40 to 60 °C) were conducted, and uniaxial compressive tests were conducted at the same temperatures. Thereafter, predictive formulae were proposed to describe the effect of temperature on the mechanical properties of construction PMMA under tension and compression, and a reduction factor for the ultimate strength of the bonding coupon was proposed. Subsequently, an exponential stress–strain relationship was proposed to describe the mechanical behavior of construction PMMA at different temperatures, which exhibited better accuracy. Finally, the capacity tests of the two PMMA beams were conducted. Finite element models of the test beams were established using the proposed stress–strain relationship. The accuracy of the proposed stress–strain relationship was verified by comparing the results of the finite element analyses and the test.