Author(s): Filho, Marco Antonio Santiago Abreu ; Pereira, João Miguel ; Azenha, Miguel ; Sena-Cruz, José
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/94578
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Subject(s): Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP); Hybrid FRP sandwich panels; Thermal distribution analysis; Environmental thermal loads; Numerical modelling
Fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) show valuable features for civil engineering applications. However, the response of these structures to temperature fluctuations is often oversimplified. Structures experience daily, seasonal, and yearly variations in environmental temperature that can significantly impact their behaviour. This study investigates the thermal distribution across a hybrid FRP sandwich panel, comprising glass-FRP face sheets/webs and a polyurethane foam core, complemented by a top layer of steel fibre-reinforced self-compacting concrete, under controlled climatic conditions (constant and variable thermal loads). Through a combination of experimental analyses and numerical simulations, the research provides insights on the thermal distribution within this type of sandwich panel. Moreover, the investigation highlights the lack of established guidelines to predict temperatures in FRP composite materials, underscoring the importance of calibrated numerical models to accurately predict thermal distributions. This research contributes with valuable insights to enhance the understanding and prediction of thermal distributions in FRP composite structures, crucial for ensuring their structural integrity and performance under service environmental conditions.
