Analysis and design of pultruded FRP shapes under bending

A comprehensive approach for the analysis and design of pultruded FRP beams in bending is presented. It is shown that the material architecture of pultruded FRP shapes can be efficiently modeled as a layered system. Based on the information provided by the material producers, a detailed procedure is presented for the computation of fiber volume fraction (V f) of the constituents, including fiber bundles or rovings, continuous strand mats, and cross-ply and angle-ply fabrics. Using the computed V fs, the ply stiffnesses are evaluated from selected micromechanics models. The wall or panel laminate engineering constants can be computed from the ply stiffnesses and macromechanics, and it is shown that the predictions correlate well with coupon test results. The bending response of various H and box sections is studied experimentally and analytically. The mechanics of laminated beams (MLB) model used in this study can accurately predict displacements and strains, and it can be used in engineering design and manufacturing optimization of cross-sectional shapes and lay-up configurations. The experimental results agree closely with the MLB predictions and finite element verifications.