Behavior of glulam timber beam strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer strip for flexural loading

Abstract

In the last 20 years, the use of wooden structures and their dimensions have gradually increased. The wood application has increased in different structures such as multistory buildings, sports, industrial facilities, road and railway bridges, power transmission lines, and towers. The widespread use and size of wood structures have increased the research on developing special types of wood products supported by composite materials. Laminated wood elements are the leading composite wood materials. Laminated wooden beams allow making much larger openings than standard solid wood structural elements. The development of the sizes and usage areas of wooden structures has increased the capacity of glulam structural elements and reveals the need to improve their performance. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are the most suitable options for increasing the bearing capacity values of glulam beams and improving general load–displacement behaviors. In this study, the use of CFRP strips in different layouts to increase glulam wooden beams and the application of CFRP fan-type anchors in the CFRP strip endpoints are the studied variables. Anchored and non-anchored glulam wooden beams reinforced with CFRP strips with different layouts were tested using a three-point bending test. The ultimate load capacity, initial stiffness, displacement ductility ratio, energy dissipation capacity, failure mechanisms, and general load–displacement behavior of wooden beam test specimens were obtained and interpreted as a result of the experiments.