Experimental and Computational Investigations of Creep Responses of Wood/PVC Composite Members

Abstract

Abstract This article reported on finite element simulation to predict the creep responses of wood/poly (vinyl chloride) (WPVC) composite members before and after strengthening by using high carbon steel (HCS) flat bar strips bonded to the tension side of composite members. The short-term properties and creep characteristics, in accordance with power law models of WPVC composites and HCS flat bar materials, were determined individually by extensive experimental investigations. The experimental results indicated that strengthening of WPVC composites with HCS flat bar strips could increase the flexural and creep performances of the WPVC composite members both in flat-wise and edge-wise directions. The improvement in the edge-wise direction was relatively greater than that in the flat-wise direction, representing the loading direction dependence for this composite member. Abaqus finite element analysis (FEA) software was applied to predict the creep responses of WPVC composite members based on the characteristics of the individual component material; these results were then verified by the experimental results. Good correlations between FEA and experimental results were found in all cases, indicating that Abaqus software with the power law creep model can be used as an alternative tool for determining the creep responses of WPVC composites.