Date of Award

1998

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Civil Engineering (MCE)

Department

Civil Engineering

Advisor

Habib J. Dagher

Second Committee Member

Beckry Abdel-Magid

Third Committee Member

Stephen Shaler

Abstract

Glued-laminated timber (glulam) is an engineered wood product made by adhering dimension lumber together to form a larger structural member. By combining fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) technology with glulam, it is possible to dramatically increase glulam strength and stiffness, to negate the need for high quality tension laminations, to reduce beam size, to decrease strength variability, to increase ductility, and possibly to reduce glulam cost. A "wetpregn process was used to form the FRP, by impregnating E-glass fabric with a phenolic resin. Following impregnation, the wetpreg FRP was applied to glulam made from eastern hemlock timber. Strength and durability were tested for wood-wood, wood-FRP, and FRP- FRP bonds for several different materials and processes. Full scale beams were tested to ultimate failure in bending. Reinforced beam results were compared against unreinforced beam results.

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