Statistical Characteristics of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene Foil’s Mechanical Properties and Its Partial Safety Factors

Abstract

AbstractThis paper investigates the statistical characteristics of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) foils’ uniaxial and biaxial mechanical properties and suggests optimal partial safety factors of this material. Ten groups of uniaxial tensile tests and nine groups of biaxial tensile tests were performed. The test results indicated that two yield points of ETFE foils were more stable than the ultimate yield point, and then these two yield points were recommended as the reference points for single-layer pretensioned and cushion foil types. Moreover, a probabilistic limit state design method was adopted to calculate partial safety factors of ETFE foils. The statistical characteristics of an ETFE foil’s resistance and the partial safety factors of this material under three load effect combinations were determined. Reliability indexes were finally checked on the basis of the central point method and the Rackwitz–Fiessler method, whose results showed that the suggested partial safety factors could satisfy th...