Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer Pultruded Flexural Members: Assessment of Existing Design Methods

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Abstract
Glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) pultruded profiles are being increasingly used in bridge and building construction as an alternative to traditional materials because of their several favourable properties that include high strength, low self-weight, short installation times, low maintenance requirements and improved durability. In spite of these advantageous characteristics, there are some factors delaying the widespread use of GFRP pultruded profiles in civil infrastructure, one of which is the lack of widely accepted design codes. This paper presents the results of analytical, experimental and numerical investigations on the structural behaviour of GFRP pultruded profiles, the objective of which was to evaluate the relative accuracy of existing design methods. A survey of analytical formulae available for the design of GFRP pultruded flexural members at both service and ultimate limit states is first presented. Subsequently, results of a test programme carried out at Instituto Superior Técnico (IS...