Experimental and computational investigations into creep response of AFRP reinforced timber beams

In the past two decades, several attempts have been made to strengthen and stiffen timber beams by reinforcing them with layers of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, oriented in various configurations. This paper describes an experimental and numerical investigation into the short-term and creep performance of southern yellow pine (SYP) and Douglas-fir (DF) timber beams strengthened by unidirectional aramid fibre-reinforced polymer sheet (AFRP). The creep parameters of AFRP and plain wood were determined using in-house creep tests. Accordingly, a non-linear finite element model was developed to predict the creep response of the AFRP reinforced timber beams based on the creep characteristics of the individual components. The results of the finite element analysis showed a good agreement with the experimental results conducted on the AFRP reinforced samples. Moreover, the influence of reinforcement on the flexural strength of reinforced beams was also examined. It could be concluded that enhancement of the timber beams with AFRP reinforcements provides improvement to both strength and stiffness, and can also effectively reduce the creep deformation of wooden beams.