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Single-bolt tension joint tests on pultruded GRP plate: effects of the orientation of the tension direction relative to pultrusion direction.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal article

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>1998
<mark>Journal</mark>Composite Structures
Issue number4
Volume42
Number of pages11
Pages (from-to)341-351
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

The literature on single-bolt tension joints in structural grade pultruded GRP plate is reviewed and the differences between the main investigations are highlighted. Details are given of the test setup and the joint configurations used in a series 54 such tests on single-bolt joints in which the angle between the pultrusion and tension axes (the off-axis angle) and the joint geometry are varied. Ultimate strength, intial stiffness, initial bolt slip and bolt displacement at failure data are presented as functions of the joints' principal geometric ratios. The observed joint failure modes show that, for off-axis angles ≥ 30 °, bearing failure (a relatively benign failure mode) does not arise. Instead, tension mode failure predominates and cracks tend to propagate parallel to the rovings diagonally across the width of the joint. It is concluded that the rovings play a significant role in controlling the crack propagation and this has implications for joint layout and design in pultruded GRP plate.