Shear Performance of Steel Beams with Bonded GFRP Stiffeners: Weathering and Cyclic Load Effects
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2022
Abstract
Strengthening-by-stiffening (SBS) is a technique for enhancing the shear performance of buckling-prone webs of steel beams by bonding glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) stiffeners. This paper focuses on changes in load capacity, ductility, and mode of failure of SBS under cyclic loading and after exposure to weathering conditions for 1 year. First, weathering effects on mechanical properties of the adhesive used in bonding the GFRP stiffeners are presented. The ductility of the epoxy was significantly reduced; however, the ultimate stress increased by about 68% over the ultimate stress of the nonweathered coupons. Furthermore, weathering led to the formation of a thin film of rust that propagated around the edges of the bonding adhesive for the full-scale beams. Consequently, the ultimate load capacity of the weathered beam dropped about 11% after 1 year of environmental exposure. Cyclic loading, however, resulted in negligible change in the ultimate load capacity. For all tested beams, the ductile adhesive used in bonding the GFRP stiffeners prevented a sudden drop in load capacity due to debonding of the GFRP stiffener in all tests.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Journal of Composites for Construction
Recommended Citation
Ulger, T., & Okeil, A. (2022). Shear Performance of Steel Beams with Bonded GFRP Stiffeners: Weathering and Cyclic Load Effects. Journal of Composites for Construction, 26 (6) https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0001276