Experimental-numerical study on lateral-torsional buckling of PFRP beams under pure bending

The applications of pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (PFRP) segmentation are increasing in construction due to features such as low weight, high fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, thermal insulation and electrical insulation. In this paper, linear and nonlinear buckling behavior of the PFRP I-section beams are investigated. A total of 11 specimens are tested for studying their lateral-torsional buckling (LTB) behavior, with two types of I-shaped profiles in various heights and span lengths under pure bending with simply supported conditions. Numerical modeling is done in Abaqus finite element package by selecting the appropriate elements. An analytical response is obtained through the equation in the Eurocode 3 Regulation for each beam and this value is compared with experimental and numerical results. The experimental data are in a reasonable accordance with the numerical and analytical results. In addition, deviations of experimental results with the results from analytical and finite element analyses are less than 15%.