Full Scale Evaluation of GFRP Confined Softwood after Long-Term Exposure to High Humidity Environment

Abstract

Plantation softwood timber poles are associated with low natural durability, and it is also not clear what the effects of the high humidity environment on the long-term performance of composite action integrity of such a system. This paper presents a durability study for the proposed composite poles using (GFRP) glass fiber-reinforced polymer as a confinement system on wooden poles sourced from plantation softwood timber. Radiata pine poles of 6 m length were wrapped with multiple layers of 0°/90° woven roving biaxial E-glass fiber sheets through a wet layup process as confinement. The prepared GFRP softwood poles were then subjected to high humidity environmental conditions of up to 95 ± 2% relative humidity and 22 ± 2 °C temperature for a period of 30 months. Various lengths of confinement were considered in this study ranging from 0% to 70% of the span length. The poles had a span length of 5.4 m and were tested using a three-point bending test. Results showed that the proposed confinement system of GFRP-softwood provided a satisfactory long-term performance and the high humidity environment did not greatly affect the improvement in the mechanical performance that the GFRP system provided.