Short‐Term Behavior of Pultruded Fiber‐Reinforced Plastic Frame

Results of an experimental and analytical investigation of the behavior of a pultruded fiber‐reinforced plastic (FRF) portal frame subjected to short‐term static loads are presented. A 6 ft high by 9 ft wide (1.83m×2.74m) plane portal frame was designed and constructed of glass/vinylester pultruded FRP thin‐walled sections. Data obtained from short‐term load tests on the frame are presented. Failure of the beam‐to‐column connections and compression flange buckling of the girder are discussed. An analytical investigation was performed to predict the nonlinear response of the frame. The numerical model includes the effects of axial, shear, and flexural deformation of the pultruded numbers, flexibility of the beam‐to‐column connections, and the postbuckling of the frame girder. An expression for the nonlinear rotational stiffness of the pultruded beam‐to‐column connection is presented. The experimental data, obtained from the full‐size test, are compared with the analytical model.