STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF PULTRUDED COMPOSITES UNDER ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

One of the major limitations for wider use of pultruded fiber reinforced polymeric (PFRP) composites in the civil engineering sector has been their behavior under elevated temperature and ultimately fire. This limitation arises not only due to the reduction in mechanical properties at high temperatures, including increased propensity to creep, but also due to limitations on the continuous working temperature causing permanent damage to the material as a result of thermal and oxidative degradation. Significant gains in property retention at high temperatures with crystalline polymers have been derived from the incorporation of fibrous reinforcement, but the development of new polymer matrices is the key for further elevation of the useful temperature range. This paper presents summary results of a research project focused on characterizing the viscoelastic behavior of commercially-produced, off-the-shelf unidirectional PFRP materials subjected to elevated temperature environments.