Hybrid FRP-timber thin-walled Cee section columns under axial compression: Numerical modelling.

This study presents the first ever investigation aimed at accurate numerical modelling of the behavior of hybrid fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)-timber laminated (HFT) Cee section columns under axial compression. Existing numerical modelling approaches for modelling thin-walled structural members, such as modelling using composite laminate shell elements, orthotropic laminate shell elements with experimentally obtained properties, were found to either over-predict or under-predict the stiffness and capacity depending on the approach used. Existing modelling approaches fail to accurately capture the effects of possible interlaminar slips under combined flexural and axial loading. A new modelling approach using ABAQUS subroutine UGENS was proposed incorporating both in-plane stiffness matrix and bending stiffness matrix simultaneously, forming the general section stiffness matrix. Failure initiation criteria and a damage evolution law were incorporated in the subroutine to derive the damaged section stiffness matrix. The predictions from the proposed numerical model showed much improved agreement with the test results. • Existing numerical approaches for modelling laminated structures were found to be inadequate for modelling HFT Cee sections columns. • Both axial and bending properties are important in modelling the behaviour of HFT Cee section columns. • A numerical model considering different membrane and bending stiffnesses was developed to predict the behaviour of the HFT Cee section columns. • Proposed numerical model was found to accurately capture the behaviour of HFT Cee section columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]