Mechanical properties of hybrid fibre reinforced polymer-timber veneer laminates

•Effect of manufacturing pressure and fibre type on properties of FRP-timber (HFT) laminates was studied.•Increase in pressure was found to improve membrane elastic properties but reduced the flexural stiffness.•HFT made using Glass fibres was found to provide best membrane properties.•Both HFTs with natural fibres and HFT made using glass fibres found to have similar flexural properties.•Classical laminate theory was found to be inaccurate in deriving HFT laminate flexural properties. Hybrid fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)-timber (HFT) thin-walled structural members made out of thin-timber veneer and fibre reinforced polymer composite laminates are a sustainable alternative to light-weight steel and aluminium thin-walled structural members. Preliminary studies on HFT structures have demonstrated the potential of HFT thin-walled structures to be used as high performing structural members. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of manufacturing pressure and the fibre type on the mechanical properties of the HFT laminates. Two different manufacturing pressures and three types of FRPs were used in the investigation. Series of experiments were carried out to determine the tensile, compressive, shear, and flexural properties of the laminates. Best manufacturing pressure as well as the fibre type to use were found to be dependent on the type of loads (membrane and/or flexural) applied on the HFT laminate. Classical laminate theory was found to be accurate in calculating membrane properties of the HFT laminate, but was found to result in significant inaccuracies when calculating the flexural properties.