Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer Tubes Research Articles

Enhancing compressive behaviour of seawater sea sand concrete filled hybrid carbon-glass FRP tubes exposed to seawater: Effect of thickness

This study presents a novel investigation into the impact of tube thickness on the residual compressive strength of sea water sea sand concrete (SWSSC) filled filament wound hybrid fibre-reinforced polymer (HFRP) tubes, positioning them as innovative alternatives to traditional concrete-filled steel tubes in corrosive marine environments. The research explores tube thicknesses of 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm, employing a unique hybrid configuration of 50 % carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) internal layers and 50 % glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) external layers. This study examines the effect of these configurations on compressive mechanical properties, microstructural characteristics, and damage progression under alkaline and seawater conditions. Additionally, the research evaluates cross-ply and hoop orientations as variables in filament winding fibre orientation. A comprehensive set of 108 hybrid tubes were filled with an alkaline solution to simulate the SWSSC environment and exposed to seawater at varying temperatures and durations. Accelerated aging experiments were conducted in the laboratory to assess the long-term compressive performance of SWSSC-filled HFRP tubes exposed to seawater. Long-term compressive strength predictions were made using the Arrhenius theory, based on short-term accelerated aging data. The accelerated test data revealed maximum compressive strength reductions of 33 %, 15 %, and 17 % for 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm cross-ply HFRP tubes, respectively, after 150 days of exposure at 60 °C. For hoop HFRP tubes, the corresponding reductions were 19 %, 18 %, and 17 %. Thicker tubes (3 mm and 4 mm) with sufficient internal CFRP layers protect external GFRP layers from alkaline damage, akin to pure CFRP tubes. Thinner tubes (2 mm) exhibit similar performance to GFRP tubes as alkaline damage spreads from their less substantial internal CFRP layers to the outer GFRP layers. For cross-ply tubes, the recommended strength reduction factors are 0.6 for 2 mm, 0.8 for 3 mm, and 0.8 for 4 mm thicknesses. For hoop tubes, the suggested factors are 0.7 for 2 mm, 0.7 for 3 mm, and 0.8 for 4 mm thicknesses. This study shows the innovative potential of tailored hybrid HFRP tubes in enhancing the durability and performance of marine infrastructure.

Axial compressive behavior of hybrid CFRP-concrete-steel double-skin tubular columns

This paper investigates the axial compressive behavior of hybrid carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-concrete-steel double-skin tubular columns (DSTCs) under core cross-section loading. A total of 18 DSTCs are tested, comprising 9 stub columns and 9 long columns. The thickness and fiber winding direction of the CFRP tube, hollow ratio, and slenderness ratio are compared. The impact of these factors is examined on failure modes, ultimate strength, and ductility of DSTCs. The tested results indicate that the failure modes of DSTCs are correlated with the fiber winding direction of the CFRP tube. Concrete confined by CFRP tubes with a fiber winding direction at 90° demonstrates minimal damage. The ultimate load of DSTCs is enhanced by increasing the thickness of CFRP tubes, whereas it is negatively influenced by both the hollow ratio and slenderness ratio. The ductility of DSTCs improves as the thickness of CFRP tubes and the hollow ratio increase. Additionally, the established FEA is utilized for stress analysis as well as parametric study of DSTC columns. The results show that the thickness of CFRP tubes, the modulus of elasticity in the circumferential direction of CFRP tubes, the slenderness ratio, and the hollow ratio have a greater effect on the axial compressive performance of DSTC long columns. The strength of concrete, the strength and thickness of steel tubes have less influence on the axial compressive performance of DSTC long columns. Typical FRP-confined concrete models are utilized to validate the axial ultimate strength. A new stability coefficient is recommended to improve the precision.

Investigation on load-bearing capacity improvement coefficient of CFRP-reinforced CHS KT-joints

This study numerically analyses the load-bearing capacity of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthened circular hollow section (CHS) multiplanar KT-joints based on experiments. Compared to unreinforced joints, the load-bearing capacity improvement coefficient k was proposed and investigated. First, the experiments on bare and CFRP-reinforced CHS KT-joints were briefly described. Three-dimensional numerical models were then established for bare and CFRP-strengthened CHS KT-joints. Refined and simplified CFRP models were established. The effectiveness of the simplified CFRP model was validated by comparing it with experimental results. To improve computational efficiency, the contact between CFRP and steel tubes was optimised by the combination of surface-based cohesive behaviour and tie. A parametric study was carried out to analyse the effect of 20 independent parameters on k. We found that k is primarily influenced by non-dimensional geometric parameters, load of brace-T, number of CFRP layers, and CFRP properties. Parametric formulae for k were established through nonlinear regression analysis. The proposed parametric formulae agree well with numerical analysis and experimental results.

Axial compressive behavior of CFRP-confined rubber concrete-encased H-shaped steel hybrid columns

The use of rubber particles as aggregate replacement in concrete production (i.e., rubber concrete) is thought to be an efficient way to dispose of end-of-life rubber products. However, the use of rubber aggregates in concrete generally leads to reduced strength and stiffness as well as early cracking in concrete. Consequently, the practical use of rubber concrete has mainly been limited to non-structural applications. In this paper, a novel compressive component, termed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP)-confined rubber concrete-encased H-shaped steel hybrid column (FRuCSC), is proposed for the structural application of rubber concrete. This novel hybrid column consists of an external CFRP tube, an encased H-shaped steel, and rubber concrete filled in between. The axial compressive behavior of FRuCSCs was investigated through combined axial compression tests and theoretical analyses. The test results indicate that FRuCSCs with a rubber replacement ratio of no more than 50 % possess excellent axial load-carrying capacity and ductility. Owing to the confinement offered by the external CFRP tube and encased H-shaped steel, the strength and ductility of the filled rubber concrete improved significantly. Furthermore, by modifying an existing axial stress-strain model of FRP-confined rubber concrete, the axial load-strain curves and axial-lateral strain curves of FRuCSCs with a rubber replacement ratio of no more than 50 % can be accurately predicted.

Mechanical analysis and bionic improvement on buckling of CFRP tubes with high energy absorption capacity

Fiber-reinforced composite tubes have remarkable advantages in energy absorption due to the high specific strength, stiffness, and fracture energy, etc. While, the energy absorption capacity is severely dominated by buckling deformation. To this end, the buckling behaviors and corresponding mechanism of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) tubes are systematically investigated in this work. Furthermore, an advanced bionic method referring to bamboo and human bones is adopted to improve the buckling. To effectively analyze the buckling, drop weight impact experiments and corresponding numerical simulations are carried out. The results show that the specific energy absorption (SEA) of CFRP tubes is significantly affected by the diameter-to-height ratio and fiber ply direction, and the influencing mechanism is excessive buckling caused by the geometric characteristics and brittle failure of CFRP. At last, the SEA of CFRP tubes were improved through bio-inspired multi-layered metal/composite hybrid, where the buckling is suppressed reasonably well. The conclusions drawn would be inspiring or guiding the optimal design of high energy-absorbing composite tubes in engineering application.

Comparative study of dynamic parameters for damage identification of carbon fiber reinforced polymer tube

AbstractThe primary objective of the paper is the numerical and experimental investigation related to the damage recognition effects for CFRP tubes of four dynamic parameters. Four damage identification indexes consisting of natural frequency‐based index, Mode Shape‐based index (MS), Mode Shape Curvature‐based index (MSC), and Modal Flexibility Curvature‐based index (MFC) are established by analyzing the dynamic parameter data obtained before and after damage occurs. The performances of dynamic parameters are thoroughly discussed in the context of numerical simulations and experiment. The results indicate that the effect of natural frequency is not as significant as that of mode shape. MFC has the most notable effectiveness out of the four indexes. The simulation peak index pair is predicted to rise from 0.3 to 0.6 as the damage in the simulation model increases by 25% from 12.5%, indicating that MFC can feedback the damage degree. Moreover, the circumferential curvature index exhibits superior performance compared to the axial curvature index. To enhance the accuracy of the axial curvature index, it is proposed to increase the number of measuring sites along the tube's long direction.Highlights Damage identification indexes of four dynamic parameters are established. Discuss the identification ability of dynamic parameters by simulation and test. Two numerical models of CFRP tube with delamination damage are established. Impact and modal tests are executed to study the ability of four indexes.

Experimental investigation on the low‐velocity impact response and the residual strength of CFRP tubes

AbstractWith the help of the high‐speed camera and self‐designed fixture, it was investigated that the effects of the impactors in a variety of shapes on the mechanical behavior and failure mode of carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) tubes with a range of inner diameter during the low‐velocity impact (LVI) of four impact energies. Then, the three‐dimensional digital image correlation (3D‐DIC) system was carried out to monitor the damage evolution of the LVI‐damaged specimens under compressive and flexural loading. In addition, the residual compressive and flexural strength of all kinds of cases were compared and discussed. The results show that the increase in wall thickness can improve the LVI, compression‐after‐impact (CAI), and flexure‐after‐impact performance. The failure mode of compression changes to brittle fracture failure at the impact circumferential region. The CAI strength of the specimen damaged by a flat impactor is 23.89% less than that of a hemispherical one, but there is little difference in flexural loading.Highlights Mechanical behavior on in & post LVI of CFRP tubes varying wall thickness and impactor. Due to point‐line contact for flat impactor, two peak forces are in the F‐D curves. LVI property and residual strength are improved with the increase of wall thickness. Compressive failure mode is brittle fracture at the impact circumferential area. Flexure‐after‐impact strength mainly depends on the no‐impact surface of tubes.

Load–Displacement Behaviour and a Parametric Study of Hybrid Rubberised Concrete Double-Skin Tubular Columns

Rubberised concrete has emerged as a material of interest to the research community with the mission of creating sustainable structural members and decreasing the burden of waste tyre rubber. The potential benefits of replacing natural aggregates with rubber particles to obtain greater energy absorption and ductility are proven in the literature. To negate the reduction in capacity due to the addition of rubber particles, single- and double-skin confinements were proposed and successfully tested by researchers. Hybrid rubberised double-skin tubular columns (RuDSTCs) were recently trialled and tested by the authors. Each of these hybrid RuDSTCs had a filament-wound carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) outer tube and an inner steel tube with rubberised concrete as the sandwich material between the two tubes. To explore the axial behaviour of such a column, this paper develops a finite element modelling strategy and carries out a comprehensive parametric study of the hybrid RuDSTC with 0%, 15%, and 30% combined aggregates replaced with rubber particles. This methodology is validated by experimental results, and a good agreement is found. Hybrid RuDSTC models are developed in four groups with different material and geometric parameters, in addition to those corresponding to the experimentally tested column, to explore the effects of the thickness ratio, hollow ratio, steel tube yield strength, and CFRP tube diameter with a special focus on the transition of the characteristic bilinear stress–strain curve of the hybrid RuDSTCs. The results show the smooth transition of the stress–strain curve with increasing rubber content after the yielding of steel, which indicates better ductility of the rubberised columns. The novel hybrid RuDSTCs can provide a promising sustainable solution with greater capacity compared with their unconfined counterparts. Better strain and enhanced ductility of the hybrid RuDSTCs compared with non-rubberized hybrid DSTCs enable their use in seismic-prone regions and mining infrastructure.

Effect of delamination on the dynamic characteristics of thin‐walled carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer tube

AbstractThin‐walled carbon fiber‐reinforced‐polymer (CFRP) tubes are susceptible to damage, which impacts their dynamic characteristics. This paper investigates the influence of delamination damage on the dynamic properties of thin‐walled CFRP tubes through finite element simulation and experimental methods. A transversely isotropic principal model is employed to establish the geometric model. Delamination damage is induced using the cohesive zone model and the secondary stress criterion. Both circumferential and elliptical delamination cases are studied. The modal test is conducted using the hammer excitation method. It is observed that the finite element model aligns with the experimental results. It is discovered that the larger the delamination size, the lower the natural frequency for a given damage location. The location of the delamination within a single layer has minimal effect on the natural frequency. The natural frequency exhibits a symmetrical pattern of decreasing and then increasing as the delamination shifts from the sides toward the center layer. Positional information is discernible in the modal shape, which can be utilized for delamination detection and localization.Highlights The damage model is built by transversal isotropic equation and cohesive unit. Finite element model is built with various delamination sizes and locations for two cases. Modal tests are performed on CFRP tubes and obtained good accuracy. Effect of delamination size and location on dynamic parameters is discussed.

Mesoscale study on the mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics of aluminum foam-filled CFRP tubes under axial compression

This study investigates the axial compression mechanics and energy absorption characteristics of aluminum foam-filled carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) tubes from both experimental and simulation perspectives. Quasi-static compression experiments of aluminum foam specimens, single CFRP tubes and aluminum foam-filled CFRP tubes are carried out. Based on the experimental results, compression simulations are conducted to investigate the structural deformation and the energy absorption characteristics of aluminum foam-filled CFRP tubes at the mesoscale. The effects of structural parameters on the compression mechanics and energy absorption characteristics of aluminum foam-filled CFRP tubes are explored.

Bond behaviour between CFRP, GFRP, and hybrid C-GFRP tubes and seawater sea sand concrete after exposure to elevated temperatures

The paper provides an overview of the current research on bond performance between fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes and SWSSC and investigates the bond strength of SWSSC-filled FRP tubes after exposure to different temperatures using push-out tests. A total of 27 samples, including glass FRP (GFRP), carbon FRP (CFRP), and glass-carbon hybrid FRP (HFRP) tubes, were tested to determine the effect of elevated up to 250 °C temperatures on the bond performance of the samples. It was observed that exposure to elevated temperatures increased the bond strength of all the tubes. The GFRP and CFRP tubes exhibited the strongest and weakest bond strengths, respectively. Since the inner layer of the HFRP tube was composed of CFRP, the bond strength of HFRP was found to be more similar to that of CFRP samples than GFRP samples. The study concluded that the bond strength of all the samples was predominantly influenced by the surface roughness of the inner tube rather than the fibre type.

On axial crushing behavior of double hat-shaped CFRP and GFRP structures

This study aimed to investigate the energy-absorbing mechanisms of composite structures subjected to quasi-static and dynamic axial crushing loads. Double hat-shaped composite tubes were prepared using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite materials. The results indicated that these composite tubes exhibited a progressive end-crushing mode and had a comparable load-carrying capacity at a crushing velocity of 2 mm/min. When the loading rate was increased to 6.1 m/s, a 23.3% reduction in the energy absorption of the CFRP structures was observed; whereas the energy absorption of the GFRP structures remained relatively constant. A stacked-shell finite element model, which considered the effects of strain rate on intra-layer and inter-layer properties, was developed to simulate the axial crushing behavior of the CFRP and GFRP tubes. The predictions made by the finite element model were found to correlate well with the tested crushing process, force–displacement curves, and final failure mode. The mechanical properties of the composite materials were also observed to play a critical role in the energy-absorbing mechanisms, contributing to the distinct crushing responses of the CFRP and GFRP structures. The results of this study are expected to help clarify the differences in the energy-absorbing mechanisms between CFRP and GFRP tubes, thereby contributing to the crashworthiness design of composite energy-absorbing structures.

A New Electrical Resistance Measurement Method of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tubes Based on C⁴D Technique

This work introduces the capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{C}^{{4}}\text{D}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) technique into nondestructive testing (NDT) of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and proposes a new resistance measurement method of CFRP tubes. The proposed method does not require direct contact between the electrodes and the carbon fiber. Therefore, the electrical resistance of CFRP can be measured without the treatments required by traditional electrical methods that may lead to surface or structural damage. The equivalent circuit model of the new method is established, and the challenges are analyzed. Simulation and experiment are conducted with woven fabric CFRP tubes to verify the feasibility of the proposed method, including the range of workable frequency, the effectiveness of the circuit model, and the capability of damage detection. Research results show that a relatively high working frequency is required to accurately measure the interested resistance and sense the resistance change. By selecting a workable frequency, the effectiveness of the circuit model is verified. Research results indicate that the stray capacitance between the electrodes has little effect on resistance measurement, and the capacitor–resistor–capacitor model is still applicable. Research results also verify the feasibility of the proposed method for damage detection. It is able to sense the resistance change resulted from the damage of CFRP, either the conductivity changes in simulation or actual cutting damage in experiment.

A probabilistic study into the influences of fiber angle orientations on energy absorption performance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composite tubes

The influence of fiber orientations on the crashworthiness of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite tubes was investigated to fill in the knowledge gap regarding the effects of fiber angle on the energy-absorbing potential of these tubes. This study adopted the Hammersley sequence sampling (HSS) method to generate a quasi-random distribution of the design objectives. Then, LS-DYNA was utilized for numerical quasi-static crushing tests to measure the specific energy absorption (SEA) and the crushing force efficiency (CFE) of a quasi-static CFRP tube at different fiber angles. The Kriging method was implemented to generate a surrogate model. Finally, Pareto results were extracted deterministically and probabilistically using the NSGAII algorithm. Fiber orientation angles are naturally exposed to uncertainties in the manufacturing process; thus, the main contribution of the study is illustrating the effects of fiber angle orientations on the energy-absorbing characteristics of CFRP tubes while incorporating uncertainties into the optimization procedure. Interestingly, the optimum fiber angle orientations revealed the potential advantage of using non-conventional angle-ply layouts by improving the CFE by up to 4% compared with the initial design configuration. The results also demonstrated the capability and superior performance of the optimization procedure in finding the global optima, and the necessity of conducting a probabilistic examination in similar studies.

Freeze-thaw behaviour of basalt fibre reinforced recycled aggregate concrete filled CFRP tube specimens

This paper is focused on the behaviour of basalt fibre reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (BFRC) short specimens confined by carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) tubes under freeze–thaw conditions. The main parameters investigated are the replacement rate of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), the number of freeze–thaw cycle (FTC), the related temperature range, and the shape of short specimen section. The failure mode, dynamic elastic modulus, ultimate bearing capacity and the load–strain response of the specimens are studied. The results show that the failure mode and the load–strain response of CFRP tube confined recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) specimen have insignificant change due to FTCs. However, with the increase of the FTCs, the bearing capacity of the specimen decreases, and the specimen with square cross-section is much more sensitive than that of the circular cross-section counterpart. The smaller the range of freeze–thaw temperature changed, the smaller loss of the dynamic modulus and the smaller decrease range of the ultimate bearing capacity after FTCs.

Mechanical performance of marine concrete filled CFRP-aluminum alloy tube columns under axial compression: Experiment and finite element analysis

This study presents the mechanical performance of marine concrete filled carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-Aluminum alloy tube columns (CFRP-CFAT) through axial compression experiment and finite element analysis. 18 specimens were tested including 3 marine concrete filled aluminum alloy tubes (CFAT) and 15 CFRP-CFATs. The effects of the CFRP pasting position (outer and inner CFRP) and the number of CFRP layers were investigated. The typical failure pattern of specimens without inner CFRP was waist drum failure of aluminum alloy tube and concrete crushed, aluminum tube and concrete of specimens with inner CFRP were shear failure, the CFRP of all specimens was fractured. CFRP and aluminum alloy tube have fine deformation coordination performance. With the confinement of CFRP, the ultimate bearing capacity and energy absorption capacity of CFRP-CFATs were increased by up to 60.0% and 37.3%, respectively, also effectively inhibited the damage development of specimens. Moreover, a finite element model was developed, a parametric study was carried and a model for calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of CFRP-CFAT was proposed. The simulated results and calculated results were consistent with experimental results.

Finite Element Simulations of the CFRP Retrofitted Hollow Square Columns

ABSTRACT This article describes the finite element analysis of concrete columns with a hollow square reinforced which restricted with a square Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced polymer (CFRP) tube. In this study, about sixteen square hollow core columns were investigated. These columns were classified into four sets. The set number one was the reference set which involved four unconfined reinforced columns with traditional steel helices and longitudinal steel bars. The columns of the 2nd category have a similar configuration as the set number one except that these columns were restricted outwardly by the CFRP tube. The columns of the set number were restricted outwardly by a CFRP tube and restricted inwardly by a steel tube. Finally, the columns of the 4th category do not have a steel reinforcement where they produced with only an outer CFRP tube and an inner steel tube. These columns were exposed to various loading conditions: concentric, eccentric (22 and 44) mm, and four bendings' points. It was investigated that the CFRP tube confinement faintly improved the columns’ strength. Moreover, the use of a steel tube as inner confinement in the columns with a hollow section led to improve the structural performance and ductility.

Deformation and fracture behaviors of cylindrical battery shell during thermal runaway

Thermal runaway is one of the catastrophic failure modes of lithium-ion cells. During thermal runaway in cylindrical cells, sidewall shell rupture has been identified as a contributing factor for thermal runaway propagation in battery packs. Herein, the deformation and fracture behaviors of the battery shell during thermal runaway are investigated based on in-situ and ex-situ characterization as well as physics-based modeling. The deformation and fracture modes of the battery shell with/without Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sleeves are identified. In the simulation, the strain introduced by thermal expansion of the system is considered, as well as the thermal and strain rate effects on the plastic stage. The final cell shell modeling is validated by cell thermal runaway tests. Results reveal the quantitative relation between shell deformation behaviors and the pressure and temperature distribution. Both the experiment and model demonstrate the effectiveness of adding a tight-fitting CFRP sleeve around the cell in limiting the side-wall rupture of the shell. The use of CFRP tubes introduces a novel phenomenon in the context of uneven temperature distribution. Results shed light on the mechanistic analysis of a cell side-wall rupture during thermal runaway and provide essential guidance for the next-generation safe battery design.

Optimal finite element modeling of filament wound CFRP tubes

The complexity of fiber patterns within the layers of a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composite made with the filament winding technique has an active effect on the mechanical properties of the layer and respectively of the whole structure. While the approximation of mechanical properties in classic laminated composites is a relatively well-researched subject, there is a lack of information on filament wound cylindrical composites. Due to its material variability, filament wound CFRPs require certification results through numerical - experimental validation. Thus, in this work, an optimal modeling procedure of filament wound CFRP tubes is presented. The main goal is to acquire the lamina mechanical properties that could reliably be used in further finite element analyses with implications in critical practical applications with linear and nonlinear characteristics. At first, a homogenization method is applied to obtain the nominal values of layer properties. Next, a simple tensile test, conforming to ASTM 3039 standards, was repeatedly carried out using a representative sample of CFRP specimens, measuring experimental strain data. A stochastic state-of-the-art single objective optimization algorithm coupled to a robust finite element analysis solver is employed in order to finely tune the lamina material parameters minimizing the residual between experimental measurements and numerical predictions. Lastly, three tensile-based validation tests of stepwise difficulty and varying layer orientation, thickness, internal diameter, width and loading conditions are carried out, efficiently confirming the reliability of the characterized lamina material properties. Comparison of experimentally measured and optimal model’s numerically predicted strain response time histories in both linear elastic deformations as well as in nonlinear large deformations under progressive failure response strongly supported the efficacy and effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Damage Detection of CFRP Filament Wound Tubes Using Electrical Resistance Measurement

The electrical resistance measurement method was used for damage detection of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) tubes during torsion and flexural loading. The symmetrical convex octagon shape specimens were manufactured using a filament winding technology. The specimens were manufactured with Integrated Loop Technology (ILT) joints at the ends in a single production step. This configuration of tubes with ILT joints allows very effective load transfer and it is also efficient from the manufacturing point of view. This type of components could be used in construction of robotic arms for automated processes. Possible collisions and resulting overloading can cause damage to the composite tubes. Such damage could be overlook due to cabling, coating and casing covering the surface of the robotic arms. In addition to the above, the requirement for a smooth surface must also be met. Therefore, possible way how to easily detect serious damage of CFRP tubes was investigated, together with a testing of a novel approach to an electrical contact manufacturing. The electrical contacts for damage monitoring were made of carbon fiber tows with electrically connected endings. They were integrated to the composite structure during filament winding process. Four specimens were loaded by flexural loading and two specimens were loaded by torsional loading. All specimens were loaded by three cycles of operational loading and then loaded to final fracture. It was shown that the presented type of electrical connection to the structure is feasible, does not disturb the surface of the sample and does not affect the ultimate strength of the specimen. According to our measurements, operational loading could be monitored only to a limited extend using the electrical resistance measurement. This is because the fracture damage caused significant change in measured electrical resistance of the specimen for both torsional and flexural loading. The presented measurement configuration with electrodes made of integrated carbon fibers is suitable for further investigation in the field of fracture damage detection of carbon fiber wound profiles.