EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDIES OF FRP-STEEL COMPOSITE PLATE UNDER STATIC UNIAXIAL TENSILE LOADING

Abstract

The study introduces a novel material, the FRP-steel composite plate, comprising a steel plate sandwiched between outer FRP laminates. The primary aim is to explore the mechanical properties of the FRP-steel composite plate under uniaxial tension. The experimental setup involves two groups of FRP-Steel specimens with varying FRP layers, alongside a control group of steel plate specimens for comparison. A uniaxial tensile test is conducted, which determined parameters such as initial elastic modulus, post-yield stiffness, yield strength, ultimate bearing capacity, and residual deformation. Noteworthy findings include the FRP-Steel specimen's bilinear stress-strain curve before the outer FRP fracture, the stable post-yield stiffness, and minimal residual deformation post-yielding of the inner steel plate. The post-yield modulus demonstrated a linear increase with the number of outer FRP layers, correlating with an enhanced ultimate bearing capacity. Furthermore, the study validated selected models by comparing predicted results under monotonic tension with the experimental data, revealing a good agreement. Implications of this research suggest that the FRP material exhibits promising mechanical properties by combining the strength of steel with the desirable characteristics of FRP. The study contributes valuable insights into the performance of this material under various loading conditions, indicating its potential applications in structural engineering or related fields. In summary, the FRP-steel composite plate emerges as a viable and effective material based on the observed experimental and analytical outcome.