InTrans / Aug 14, 2018
Effect of FRP reinforcement on low grade eastern hemlock glulams
The benefits of reinforcing glulam beams made with
eastern hemlock, an under-utilized wood species in the
state of Maine, are discussed. Nine beams reinforced
with fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) on the tension side
and three unreinforced controls were instrumented and
tested to failure in four-point bending. Low, medium,
and high quality wood were used in the experimental
study. FRP reinforcement ratios ranged from 0.3% to
3.1%. A nonlinear numerical model that predicts the
performance of the FRP-glulam beams through the
entire load range was developed and its predictions are
compared with the test results.