Experimental Investigation of GFRP Laminate Thin-Walled Column Subjected to Uniform Compression

Abstract

This paper presents the results of experimental investigation of thin-walled GFRP laminate columns with square cross-section subjected to uniform compression. Column under consideration are made of eight ply laminate with different quasi-isotropic layer arrangement. The following three cases of layers arrangement are taken into consideration: CS1 [45/-45/45/-45]S, CS2 [45/-45/0/0]Sand CS3 [45/-45/45/0]S. The analysed columns have the length of 250 mm and following cross-section dimensions (width × height × thickness of the wall): 82 × 82 × 2.08 mm.The main aim of experimental investigation has been to compare the way of buckling load and postbuckling behaviour determinations. The layer arrangement influence on buckling load and postbuckling stiffness have been also checked. Two different methods (P-w2method and "inflection point" method) of determining buckling forcePcrand two different measurement technique (i.e. strain-gauges technique and stereographic transformations technique) have been employed.