Experimental Study of Structural Performance of Precast Concrete Insulated Sandwich Panels with Cruciform Cross Section GFRP Connectors

This study investigated the structural performance of precast concrete insulated sandwich panels with cruciform cross section glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) connectors, based on tensile and shear tests. 5 tensile specimens and 4 shear specimens were fabricated and tested. The load-displacement relation and failure mode of the specimens were analyzed. The results revealed that the average ultimate tension load of the tested specimens with single GFRP connector was 13.14kN with concrete splitting or concrete partial cone failure. For the shear specimens, the average ultimate shear load was 14.83kN with rupture failure of GFRP connector. Furthermore, durability of sandwich panels was investigated, by fabricating and testing 48 tensile specimens with GFRP connectors immersed in tension load had sufficient safety in different design situations.

Axial Decay of Self-Equilibrating End Loads in Compressible Solids

The axial diffusion rate of self-equilibrating surface loads is investigated for axially prestretched solids under plane-strain conditions. The perturbed field within the body, induced by an instantaneous end disturbance, is examined by using the eigenfunction spectral analysis. A general solution is given for a wide range of compressible materials. Particular examples are presented for a few hyperelastic solids. Very slow rate of decay, of the first antisymmetric eigencomponent, has been found near the stress-free configuration. Also, there is almost no decay of the first symmetric eigencomponent near the ultimate tension load. The diffusion length is greater for less compressible solids. Axial decay is exponential and depends quite strongly on material moduli and prestrain.