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Effectiveness of GFRP Sheets for Shear Strengthening of Timber |
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| Authors: | Shaun Hay Kenton Thiessen Dagmar Svecova Baidar Bakht |
| Affiliation: | 1Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB, Canada R3T 5V6. 2Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB, Canada R3T 5V6 (corresponding author). 3Consultant, JMBT Structures Research Inc., 21 Whiteleaf Crescent, Scarborough ON, Canada M1V 3G1. |
| Abstract: | The objective of this study was to develop a cost-effective shear-strengthening technique for timber stringers that is environmentally friendly and leads to a durable structure. Testing was performed on creosote-treated Douglas fir beams, with dimensions of 100×400×3,650?mm, removed from a 40 year old bridge. Two strengthening schemes were investigated; incorporating vertical and diagonal glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets applied to both shear spans. The diagonal scheme proved effective in increasing the average ultimate load, flexural stiffness, and deformability of the beams. Performance of the members reinforced using the vertical scheme, however, was poor compared to diagonally reinforced beams. The contribution of the diagonal sheets to the shear capacity of the stringers was around 12% at service loads and 40% at ultimate load. In conclusion, this study has shown that diagonal GFRP sheets are more effective than vertical sheets in shear-strengthening timber stringers with horizontal splits at their ends. |
| Keywords: | Timber construction Rehabilitation Reinforcement Fiber reinforced polymers Sheets Shear strength |