Influence of temperature and ageing on load capacity of glass-vinylester box beam
Marian Klasztorny, Daniel B. Nycz
Quarterly No. 2, 2016 pages 113-121
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abstract The paper concerns the numerical testing of a GFRP composite box beam reflecting, on a 1:2 scale, the central part of the superstructure of the recently designed original GFRP composite 5-box footbridge manufactured using infusion technology. The beam is composed of two laminate shells combined with glue on contact strips. The shells are glass-vinyl ester laminates protected with gelcoat and topcoat layers, respectively. The main constituents of the laminas are bi-directional balanced stitched E-glass woven fabrics and flame retardant vinyl ester resin. After homogenization, the composite forming a lamina (reinforced with one fabric) is modelled as a linearly elastic-brittle orthotropic material. Experimental identification of the material constants was done for the new composite and for the aged composite after 5-year environmental ageing, at three service temperatures, i.e. -20, 20, 55°C. The accelerated 5-year environmental ageing of the composite was performed using an ageing chamber and the relevant ageing programme. The study presents the numerical modelling and simulation of the static three-point bending test of the new and aged box beam, at the three service temperatures. The modelling and simulation, performed in the MSC.Marc system, was validated in a previous paper by the authors, based on the experimental three-point bending test of the new beam at room temperature. Comparative studies were carried out in order to determine the effects of the service temperatures and the 5-year environmental ageing on the load capacity of the GFRP composite box beam. Keywords: glass-vinylester composite, mechanical properties, GFRP composite box beam, three-point bending test, modelling and simulation, temperature and ageing effects