Master of Science / Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science / Kimberly W. Kramer / Pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) shapes are gaining popularity in the construction industry. Pultruded FRP profiles introduce a new world of construction that could prove to be a viable option to traditional structural materials. The use of pultruded FRP profiles in structures is discussed in this report. First a brief history of FRPs and their applications are addressed before explaining in detail the two main components of FRP; fibers and resin. The manufacturing process known as pultrusion and how two separate materials become one structural member is examined. As a result of pultrusion, engineers and designers can create structural profiles in customizable shapes, sizes, and strengths to suit any project and price. Theoretically, a pultruded FRP profile can be customized to different strengths within the geometrical and material bounds of the profile; however, many manufacturers publish data regarding mechanical and thermal properties along with allowable loads for their nominal profiles. Currently, there are no governing codes or guidelines for pultruded FRPs but there are design manuals and handbooks published by various committees and manufacturers so the design of pultruded FRP profiles is discussed. Ultimate and serviceability limit states are design concerns that engineers always deal with but concerns of heat or fire, chemical or corrosion, and moisture affect pultruded FRPs differently than steel or wood. Pultruded FRPs pose interesting design concerns because increased customizability and workability means the member can be tailored to meet the needs for that project but that would counter the benefit of mass-produced nominal sizes. A lack of uniform codes and standards inhibits the growth of the pultrusion industry in the United States but codes developed in Europe along with the development of specialized agencies and organizations could help gain a foothold. Lastly, a set of beams varying in length and load exhibit a side-by-side comparison to examine how pultruded FRPs match up next to traditional building materials. Although wood, steel, and reinforced concrete have been the preferred materials of construction, pultruded FRP structural shapes are gaining popularity for its economical and physical advantages, and advances in manufacturing and technology stand to usher in the widespread use of pultruded FRP profiles.

This thesis addresses the results of an experimental and analytical investigation aimed at examining the static load-displacement response of braced plane frame structures composed of fiber reinforced polymeric (FRP) composite material structural members manufactured by the pultrusion process. In the experimental part of this investigation, eighteen full-scale lateral loading tests for FRP composite frames with different brace configurations and beam column connection types were performed. The load-displacement responses of such frames were measured and are reported herein. In the analytical part of this investigation, a frame analysis method that accounts for the anisotropic nature of FRP composite material structural members was investigated. The results from the experimental work are compared with the results from the analytical procedures. The effects of various structural parameters of the frame such as (1) effective mechanical material properties of members, (2) beam-column connection types, and (3) the influence of diagonal structural members on the lateral load-displacement response of the braced plane frames are also investigated. The numerical load-displacement results from the proposed FRP composite frames analysis procedure provided good agreement with the results from the full-scale laboratory tests.

[pt] Elementos de paredes finas com seções transversais abertas têm sido amplamente empregados em aplicações de engenharia. Embora as aplicações convencionais e os códigos de projeto se concentrem predominantemente em elementos de aço, observa-se um interesse crescente no uso de materiais alternativos, especialmente compósitos. Entre estes, polímeros reforçados com fibra (FRP) têm sido cada vez mais empregados devido às suas propriedades benéficas. No entanto, a natureza ortotrópica das colunas FRP, produzidas através de pultrusão, apresenta um desafio, uma vez que as prescrições convencionais de projeto para estruturas de aço não podem ser aplicadas diretamente. Assim, mais pesquisas são essenciais para fornecer normas de projeto confiáveis para membros estruturais em FRP. Entre as geometrias tradicionais de seção aberta, seções cantoneira têm sido comumente empregadas. Apesar de sua simplicidade geométrica, colunas com seção cantoneira apresentam uma flambagem estrutural e um comportamento dinâmico complexos, que decorre do fato de tais colunas apresentarem diferentes modos de deformação, função de suas propriedades geométricas e materiais, incluindo interação modal, principalmente entre os modos de flexão e torção. Este trabalho se concentra na investigação das características de flambagem e vibração de colunas pultrudadas FRP com seção cantoneira, abrangendo seções de abas iguais e desiguais, e abrangendo colunas curtas a longas. Para isso, são desenvolvidos modelos de dimensão reduzida (ROMs) baseados na teoria clássica não linear de placas (CPT) proposta por von Kármán. A seção cantoneira é modelada como duas placas, com restrições de continuidade imposta na ligação entre ambas. Utilizando o software GBTul, é conduzida uma investigação abrangente da participação modal nos modos de flambagem e vibração. Com base nesta análise, o campo de deslocamentos de cada placa para todos os ROMs é aproximado por funções de interpolação derivadas analiticamente, que são usadas para discretizar o sistema contínuo com base no método de Ritz. Pela aplicação do princípio de Hamilton, os problemas de autovalor e equações não lineares de movimento são derivados. São realizadas análises paramétricas dimensionais e adimensionais, com cargas críticas e frequências de vibração comparadas favoravelmente com os resultados do GBTul. Caminhos pós-flambagem são explorados resolvendo-se os sistemas de equações de equilíbrio não lineares para cada ROM. A influência dos parâmetros geométricos e materiais na rigidez pós-flambagem é investigada, juntamente com a sensibilidade às imperfeições geométricas iniciais. Finalmente, a estabilidade de colunas sob carregamento axial harmônico é avaliada resolvendo-se numericamente as equações não lineares de movimento usando-se o método Runge-Kutta de quarta ordem. As regiões de instabilidade paramétrica são determinadas em função da frequência e magnitude da força de excitação harmônica, considerando a influência do material, do amortecimento e da geometria da seção transversal. Os diagramas de bifurcação são obtidos empregando-se o método da força bruta e técnicas de continuação, esclarecendo as bifurcações associadas aos limites de instabilidade paramétrica. A evolução das bacias de atração de soluções coexistentes é investigada, proporcionando uma avaliação da integridade dinâmica. Os resultados demonstram que a coluna pode perder estabilidade sob níveis de carga bem abaixo da carga estática de flambagem e, portanto, os projetistas devem ter cautela ao trabalhar com essas estruturas sujeitas a cargas axiais variáveis no tempo. / [en] Thin-walled elements with open cross sections have been widely employed in engineering applications. While conventional applications and design codes predominantly focus on steel members, a growing interest has emerged in exploring alternative materials, particularly composites. Among these, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) has witnessed increased application owing to its advantageous properties. However, the orthotropic nature of FRP columns, produced through pultrusion, presents a challenge as conventional design prescriptions for structural steel cannot be directly applied. Thus, further research is essential to derive reliable design rules for FRP members. In the realm of traditional open section geometries, angle sections have been commonly employed. Despite their geometric simplicity, angles exhibit a complex structural buckling and dynamic behaviour which arises from the fact that such columns may undergo different deformation modes, according to their geometric and material properties, with modal interaction observed, particularly between flexural and torsional modes. This work focuses on investigating the buckling and vibration characteristics of pultruded FRP angle sections, encompassing both equal and unequal-leg sections, and spanning short to long columns. For this, reduced order models (ROMs) are developed based on the classical von Kármán nonlinear plate theory (CPT). The angle section is modelled as two plates, with continuity constraints considered at the common boundary. Utilizing GBTul software, a comprehensive investigation of modal participation in linear buckling and vibration modes is conducted. Based on this analysis, the plate displacement field for each ROM is approximated by suitable analytically derived interpolating functions, which are used to discretize the continuous system on the basis of the Ritz energy method. By application of Hamilton s principle, the eigenvalue problems and nonlinear equations of motion are derived. Parametric dimensional and nondimensional analyses are carried out, with critical loads and vibration frequencies compared favorably with GBTul results. Post-buckling paths are explored by solving the systems of nonlinear equilibrium equations for each ROM. The influence of geometric and material parameters on post-buckling stiffness is investigated, along with the sensitivity to initial geometrical imperfections. Finally, the stability of the columns under harmonic axial loading is assessed by numerically solving the nonlinear equations of motion using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. Parametric instability regions are determined as a function of the frequency and magnitude of the harmonic excitation force, considering the influence of material, damping, and cross-sectional geometry. Bifurcation diagrams are obtained employing the brute force method and continuation techniques, clarifying the bifurcations associated to the parametric instability boundaries. The evolution of basins of attraction of coexisting solutions is investigated, providing an evaluation of dynamic integrity. The results demonstrate that the column may lose stability at load levels well below the static buckling loads and, therefore, designers must exercise caution when working with these structures subjected to time-varying axial loads.