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Abstract

This paper aims at introducing some suggested design detail recommendations for connections and stiffeners for pultruded fiber reinforced plastics (PFRP) structural shapes. It also serves as a practical design reference for PFRP fabricators in selecting the appropriate connection configurations. The anisotropic nature of the material has been considered in preparing these structural details. This paper is divided into three interrelated parts: 1) connection design details for PFRP frame structures; 2) simplified stiffening details to reinforce and increase the structural capacity of PFRP open-web profiles; and 3) experimental evaluation of stiffened PFRP beams. In the first part, connections for new construction using customized FRP Universal Connectors (UC), developed by the author, are presented along with the required stiffeners to minimize the localized deformation and to overcome the premature failure of PFRP open-web profiles. This common localized failure PFRP open-web profiles was reported earlier in several papers by the author and others. In addition, shear and flexural stifrening details are presented. To solve the problems associated with existing PFRP frame structures, suggested details for transfer elements and stud stiffeners are also presented. These additional stiffening details to existing PFRP structures are not costly, and will assist in increasing both the reliability and safety of such structures under excessive loading conditions. Consequently, this will reduce the risk and the liability imposed on both the designers and the fabricators. In addition, experimental results of both stiffened and unstiffened simply supported PFRP H- beams are presented to demonstrate the importance of using additional stiffeners to off-theshelf pultruded profiles. The result of this experiment indicates that an increase up to 65% of the ultimate loading capacity of the section can be achieved compared to unstiffened specimens. In addition, an increase in both critical buckling stress and post-buckling strength was the result of adding these stiffeners.

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Connection and Reinforcement Design Details for Pultruded Fiber Reinforced Plastic (PFRP) Composite Structures

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