Static Flexural Performance of GFRP-Polymer Concrete Hybrid Beams

In this paper it is reported a research undertaken in hybrid beams, where GFRP pultruded profiles are assembled, in an innovative way, with a layer of polymer concrete. The various beams were designed considering a pultrusion profile that will work in tension, and a polymer concrete filling that will work mainly in compression, in order to take benefit from the best mechanical properties of both materials. Several beams, with four different hybrid designs, were tested in four-point bending and the flexural behaviour of such structures was studied. The results obtained show the synergetic effect of the joining of these two classes of materials.