Title: Effect of short and long term freeze-thaw cycling on the mechanical behaviour of filament wound FRP-tubes

Authors: Hend El Zefzafy; Hamdy M. Mohamed; Radhouane Masmoudi

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada. ' Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada; Faculty of Engineering El Mataria, Helwan University, Cairo Governorate, Egypt. ' Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada

Abstract: In this study, an experimental work was performed to investigate the short and long term effect of freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical behaviour of the fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) tubes. The tubes had a constant internal diameter (152 mm), and wall thickness 2.65 mm. The fibre orientations were mainly in the hoop direction (±60°). Test parameters in this investigation include the effect of the number and type of freeze-thaw cycles. A total of eighty coupon specimens were cut from the FRP tubes, seventy were conditioned to 100 and 300 freeze-thaw cycles (+30°C to -30°C), while the rest were kept at room temperature (22.5°C). Then, pure axial tension and compression tests were conducted in order to evaluate the change of mechanical properties of the test specimens due to the freeze-thaw exposure. The test results indicated that the axial tensile and compressive strength of the FRP tubes were increased after short and long term freeze-thaw cycles.

Keywords: mechanical properties; fibre-reinforced polymers; FRP tubes; freeze-thaw cycles; tension testing; compression tests; filament winding; freezing; thawing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2012.050946

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2012 Vol.7 No.5, pp.439 - 450

Published online: 10 Dec 2012 *

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