Formation of non-uniform fibre distribution and its effect on the flexural performance of pultruded GFRP box beams

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of non-uniform fibre distribution (NUFD) as a defect in the pull-winding manufacturing process on the mechanical properties of pultruded glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) box section profiles. These profiles exhibit balanced mechanical properties but are susceptible to NUFD during production, negatively affecting local buckling capacity. Experimental and numerical analyses were conducted on pultruded GFRP profiles manufactured under three winding tension configurations, resulting in a 5% variance in load capacity during bending. Results show that corner NUFD influences local buckling capacity more than flange NUFD. Specifically, corner NUFD decreases load capacity by up to 20%, while flange NUFD increases it by up to 3%. Conversely, the effect of NUFD location is insignificant to the failure determined by the material strength without buckling instability. Moreover, a linear relationship between the rotational restraint coefficient and corner fibre volume fraction provides insight into the impact of material imperfections on load capacity.