Material Properties of 3-D GFRP Sandwich Panels for Civil Infrastuctures

摘要

This paper presents new 3-D fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich panels designed to overcome de-lamination problems typically encountered in traditional panels. The sandwich panels consist of GFRP laminate plates at the top and bottom, separated by a foam core, and rigidly connected by through-thickness fibers to achieve composite action. The use of the through-thickness fibers increases the out-of-plane properties of the panels, delays de-lamination-type failures, allows low cost manufacturing, and ensures full utilization of the material strength. The fundamental material characteristics of the panels in tension, compression, flexure and shear are critical for structural design and commercial application. This paper summarizes the findings of an experimental program undertaken to determine the effect of the material configuration on the material characteristics and behavior of these sandwich panels. The influences of panel thickness, through thickness fiber configuration and density, testing direction, and other parameters on the tensile, compression, flexure and shear behavior of the panels are discussed.