Abstract
In recent years, the application of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) as structural members has been promoted. Metallic bolts and rivets are often used for the connection of FRP structures, but there are some problems caused by corrosion and stress concentration at the bearing position. Fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (FRTPs) have attracted attention in composite material fields because they can be remolded by heating and manufactured with excellent speed compared with thermosetting plastics. In this paper, we propose and evaluate the connection method using rivets produced of FRTPs for FRP members. It was confirmed through material tests that an FRTP rivet provides stable tensile, shear, and bending strength. Then, it was clarified that non-clearance connection could be achieved by the proposed connection method, so initial sliding was not observed, and connection strength linearly increased as the number of FRTP rivets increased through the double-lapped tensile shear tests. Furthermore, the joint strength of the beam using FRTP rivets could be calculated with high accuracy using the method for bolt joints in steel structures through a four-point beam bending test.
Highlights
Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) are used for repairing and reinforcing structures because they have a high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance
We propose a connection method using Fiberreinforced thermoplastics (FRTPs) rivets to provide a solution for problems caused by corrosion and clearance, and evaluate the connection strength and mechanical behavior through material tests and structural experiments
This paper proposed a connection method of FRP members using FRTP rivets and evaluated the fundamental properties of FRTP rivets through material tests
Summary
Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) are used for repairing and reinforcing structures because they have a high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Ueda et al [8] proposed a new connection method using a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) rod to joint CFRP plates like a rivet They clarified the shear strength of CFRTP rod with 5.2 mm diameter as 2.5–3.6 kN, and demonstrated that the specific joint strength can be effectively increased. Yeong et al [12] demonstrated the manufacture of a CFRTP and GFRTP coupon, and they tested them under tension, bending, and indentation loads They suggested that the manufacturing process using FRTP could reduce molding costs, and showed comparable strength and elastic modulus to conventional CFRP and GFRP. We propose a connection method using FRTP rivets to provide a solution for problems caused by corrosion and clearance, and evaluate the connection strength and mechanical behavior through material tests and structural experiments.
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