Session: 03-02-01 Fatigue Performance and Testing

Paper Number: 125012

125012 - Effect of Environmental Conditions on the Delamination Fracture of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers 

The increase of composite materials in offshore industry can reduce energy consumption and maintenance of structures. In this sense, a new technology of composite wrapped joints to join circular hollow sections (CHSs) emerges as a promising solution over traditional welded steel members. However, the harsh sea water environment degrades materials and can lead to loss of structural integrity. A reliable design of composite structures requires understanding the effects of environmental conditions on the mechanical behavior of these materials under offshore operational conditions. This work aims to evaluate the effects of short-term temperature changes and long-term sea water immersion on the performance of a glass fiber composite laminate for application in offshore structures. Specimens are manufactured and series of experiments are performed to access the mode I and mode II delamination fracture of the composite in a range of operational temperatures: -10, 21 and 70 °C. In addition, specimens were immersed in a saltwater solution (23°C) to simulate the offshore environment and tested after exposure to moisture. Digital image correlation (DIC) was applied to monitor the crack development. Low temperature showed to decrease the interlaminar fracture toughness while high temperature improves its performance. Moreover, salt water ageing showed to reduce the fracture toughness of the laminate. Finally, the experimental characterization was modelled using a cohesive zone model (CZM) to predict the mechanical behavior of the composite material under service conditions.

Presenting Author: Marcio Moreira Arouche Delft University of Technology

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Marcio Moreira Arouche is postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences of Delft University of Technology. He investigates the mechanical behavior of composite and steel-composite bonded structures on the material and component scales. His main focus is on multi-material structures and environmental effects in offshore applications.

Authors:

Marcio Moreira Arouche Delft University of Technology
Marko Pavlović Delft University of Technology