Multi-Bolted Connection for Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer's Structure: A Study on Strengthening by...

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science
• Structural Engineering

Background:

• Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (PGFRPs) offer advantageous properties for civil construction.
• PGFRPs' shear strength is limited by the matrix, necessitating improved connection performance for enhanced serviceability.
• Multi-bolted connections are common in PGFRP structures, but experimental data on their strengthening is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate strengthening strategies for multi-bolted connections in PGFRPs.
• To evaluate the impact of bolt quantity, end distance-to-diameter ratio, and glass fiber sheet (GFS) types on connection performance.
• To identify failure modes and strengthening effects in PGFRP connections.

Main Methods:

• Experimental investigation of PGFRP specimens with varying numbers of bolts (two, four, five).
• Testing different end distance to bolt diameter ratios (e=2d, e=3d) under tensile load.
• Application of three types of glass fiber sheets (GFS): 0°/90°, ±45°, and chopped strand mat (CSM) for strengthening.

Main Results:

• The study demonstrated the strengthening effects of different connection configurations and GFS types.
• Failure modes of the strengthened PGFRP connections were analyzed and documented.
• Experimental results provide insights into the behavior of strengthened multi-bolted PGFRP connections.

Conclusions:

• The findings address a knowledge gap in the composite design of PGFRPs, particularly concerning strengthened connections.
• The research offers valuable data for enhancing the serviceability and performance of existing and future PGFRP structures.
• This study provides a basis for further development and optimization of PGFRP connection designs.