Experimental investigation of pultruded GFRP connections

Abstract

At present, design and construction of all-FRP structures with the use of GFRP are developing. All-FRP frame structures use bolted connections to form nodes between the elements, particularly steel bolts. This research focuses on the use of FRP pultruded plates instead of chords and webs. Frame construction nodes are formed by adjoining frame elements at different angles to the chords through gusset plates. In accordance with the literature analysis, a small number of tests have been carried out to investigate connections at angles to the pultrusion direction the pultrusion direction. Both experimental and numerical studies made with pultruded plates and L-shape FRP profiles have demonstrated that the plates have considerable influence on the strength and deformation of joints so that the joints failure mode involves mainly the bolted plate. These results were then compared against numerical predictions obtained using Ansys for finite-element analysis.