Australian Approaches to Standardizing Design Properties for Fiber Reinforced Laminates in Civil Engineering Structures

摘要

The market growth restrictions created by the lack of appropriate design codes for composites in civil infrastructure applications have been well documented. To address this issue, Australian researchers working under a federally funded technology diffusion program have been working on the development of a national industry code of best practice for the structural design of fibre composites. One of the cornerstones of this work is the development of reliable and easily accessible design properties for fibre reinforced laminae. Traditionally the provision of standardised properties for fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) laminae has posed a challenge to code developers. However, by modifying the traditional units of characterisation and by harmonising the process of property development with the overall design process, the authors propose a scheme whereby standardised properties can be provided in a simple and reliable manner. This paper outlines this approach which has been adopted as the basis for the new Australian code of practice. A simplified design example is also included to illustrate the provisions of the Guide in practice.