Towards material-adapted structural applications of advanced composite materials in bridge and building construction

摘要

In bridge and building construction, composite fibre materials are still employed primarily in structural forms that are typical to steel construction. Since anisotropic composite fibre materials are innately different from isotropic steel, the substitution of composites for steel means that the advantageous properties of composites will not be used to their full potential. For composite fibre materials to succeed on the construction market, it is necessary to develop material-adapted structural forms and construction methods that will allow for economic use of the material. This paper presents examples of first steps towards material-adapted structures using GFRP structural profiles and sandwich panels (GFRP-glass fibre reinforced polymers).