Impact behaviour of pultruded GFRP composite sections

<p>The prevailing method for constructing support piles for navigational aids involves using steel, which is susceptible to corrosion in a marine environment, necessitating frequent maintenance. Non-corrosive, high strength, and light weight material properties of glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites can be an effective alternative for the pile foundation of A-to-N structures. In this application, pile structure should resist axial and lateral impacts caused during driving and impacts from small vessels, respectively. GFRP composite pile has relatively lower stiffness than steel and has thin walls which requires careful consideration while driving. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the impact performance of GFRP CHS during and post-driving. The proposed study will evaluate the energy absorption capacity and overall behaviour of pultruded GFRP composite sections with different geometries (circular, square, and rectangular) under axial and lateral impact. Axial impact on the profile revealed that the CHS profile has superior impact resistance than square (SHS) and rectangular (RHS) sections by withstanding the highest impact energy without damage. The continuity of fibres within CHS minimizes stress concentrations at corners due to impact forces.</p>