Creep Effects in Pultruded FRP Beams

The paper presents results of two creep tests on pultruded open-section GFRP beams aimed to evaluate the long-term deformations, the residual deflection after unloading, and the influence of creep strains on the flexuraltorsional buckling phenomenon. Two beams were subjected to a constant load for about one year. Then one of the beams was unloaded to evaluate its residual deflection. For the other beam, the load was increased up to failure, and the residual buckling strength was compared with that of a similar beam tested up to failure. The parameters of the Findley power law are evaluated, and the experimental results are compared with those of numerical analyses and with available formulations for prediction of the time-dependent properties of composite beams. Results of the investigation testify, in particular, to a noninsignificant time-dependent increment in deflections of the beams and to a significant reduction in their buckling strength due to creep deformations.