We have developed a method for the three-dimensional (3D) printing of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics based on fused-deposition modeling. The technique enables direct 3D fabrication without the use of molds and may become the standard next-generation composite fabrication methodology. A thermoplastic filament and continuous fibers were separately supplied to the 3D printer and the fi...

Abstract:   The use of Concrete beams reinforced with a combination of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) and steel bars has increased dramatically in recent years, due to improvement in strength and flexural ductility simultaneously. In this paper, we proposed a new equation for estimating the effective moment of inertia of hybrid FRP-steel reinforced concrete (RC) beams on the basis of the...

Fracture mechanics data from fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix (FRP) composites are required for damage-tolerant design. Quantifying scatter is essential determining design limits. Scatter affected by the “human factor”, i.e., process and test operator actions. Intrinsic manufacture, processing environment shall be preserved; extrinsic specimen preparation, set-up, measurement resolution, analysi...

Since the development of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in 1991, they have received much attention with improved mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of their composites compared to common polymer composites. This study evaluated the effect of incorporating bundled and unbundled carbon nanotubes into Polyurethane/CNT/woven fiber reinforced composites. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used t...

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of an aggressive environment and sustained load on the mechanical properties of wet lay-up fiber reinforced polymers (FRP). A total of 390 specimens, including 234 carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) specimens and 156 glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) specimens, were exposed to freeze–thaw cycles, hygrothermal aging, and wet–d...

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an economical and multi-functional nanofiller that can further elevate the versatile performance of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP). The past two decades have seen significant progress in design, fabrication, characterization CNTs modified FRPs (CNT-FRPs). introduction has been proven to enhance key mechanical properties CNT-FRPs endow composite with additional functi...

The use of composite materials for strengthening the ailing infrastructure has steadily gained acceptance and market share. Employing composite materials in strengthening of steel structures is the subject of this study. There are several challenges that face strengthening steel structures using composite materials. The superior mechanical properties of steel result in a reduction in the effici...

Brillouin scattering-based distributed optical fiber (OF) sensing technique presents advantages for concrete structure monitoring. However, the existence of spatial resolution greatly decreases strain measurement accuracy especially around cracks. Meanwhile, the brittle feature of OF also hinders its further application. In this paper, the distributed OF sensor was firstly proposed as long-gaug...

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are increasingly used in concrete structures owing to their superior corrosion resistance. However, FRP-reinforced (RC) exhibit less ductile response compared steel RC structures. Recently, the use of basalt fiber reinforced (BFRC) with BFRP bars was investigated achieve a reasonable level ductility BFRC-BFRP one-way slabs. The shear behavior such slab ...