Flexural-Torsional Buckling of Pultruded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Angle Beams under Eccentric Loading

In this paper, the experimental study on the pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer (pultruded FRP) angle beams subjected to transversely eccentric load are presented. A summary of critical buckling load and buckling behavior for full-scale flexure tests with various span-to-width ratios (L/b) and eccentricities are investigated, and typical failure mode are identified. Three-point flexure tests of 50 pultruded FRP angle beams are performed. The E-glass fibre/polyester resin angle specimens are tested to examine the effect of span-to-width ratio of the beams on the buckling responses and critical buckling loads. The angle specimens have the cross-sectional dimension of 76x6.4 mm with span-to-width ratios, ranging from 20 to 40. Also, four different eccentricities are investigated, ranging from 0 to ±2e. Eccentric loads are applied below the horizontal flange in increments until beam buckling occurred. Based upon the results of this study, it is found that the load and mid-span vertical deflection relationships of the angle beams are linear up to the failure. In contrast, the load and mid-span lateral deflection relationships are geometrically nonlinear. The general mode of failure is the flexural-torsional buckling. The eccentrically loaded specimens are failed at critical buckling loads lower than their concentric counterparts. Also, the quantity of eccentricity increases as buckling load decreases. In addition, it is noticed that span-to-width ratio increases, the buckling load is decreased. The eccentric location proved to have considerable influence over the buckling load of the pultruded FRP angle beams.