State-of-the-Art Review on FRP Sandwich Systems for Lightweight Civil Infrastructure
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 21, Issue 1
Abstract
Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich systems as primary load-bearing elements are relatively new concepts in lightweight civil infrastructure. These systems offer a combination of light weight, high strength, thermal insulation for some types, and service-life benefits. Recent developments and applications have demonstrated that these composite systems have emerged as a cost-effective alternative, especially when each material component is appropriately designed. Still, some issues and challenges need to be addressed if FRP systems are to gain widespread use in civil infrastructure. This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art research, development, and applications of FRP sandwich systems. It also identifies the challenges and future opportunities for the broad use of these advanced systems in civil engineering and construction.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The first author acknowledges the scholarship granted by the Australian Government Endeavour Research Fellowships to undertake his research and professional development at the University of Sherbrooke.
References
ACI (American Concrete Institute). (2007). “Report on fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement for concrete structures.” ACI 440R-2007, Farmington Hills, MI.
Aref, A. J., Alampalli, S., and He, Y. (2005). “Performance of a fiber reinforced web core skew bridge superstructure. Part I: Field testing and finite element simulations.” Compos. Struct., 69(4), 491–499.
ASTM. (1999). “ASTM standard terminology of structural sandwich constructions.” ASTM C274-99, West Conshohocken, PA.
Bai, Y., and Keller, T. (2014). High temperature performance of polymer composites, Wiley, New York.
Bakis, C. E., et al. (2002). “FRP composites in construction—State-of-the-art review.” J. Compos. Constr., 73–87.
Barbero, E. J. (1999). Introduction to composite materials design, Taylor and Francis Group, New York.
Barbosa, P. (2014). “Creep behavior in composite sandwich panels with cores made of polyurethane and polyethylene terephthalate.” Technical Univ. of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Beckwith, S. W. (2008). “Sandwich core materials and technologies—Part I.” SAMPE J., 44(4), 30–31.
Bekisli, B., and Grenestedt, J. L. (2004). “Experimental evaluation of a balsa sandwich core with improved shear properties.” Compos. Sci. Technol., 64(5), 667–674.
Belouettar, S., Abbadi, A., Azari, Z., Belouettar, R., and Freres, P. (2009). “Experimental investigation of static and fatigue behavior of composite honeycomb materials using four point bending tests.” Compos. Struct., 87(3), 265–273.
Benmokrane, B., Elgabbas, F., Ahmed, E., and Cousin, P. (2015). “Characterization and comparative durability study of glass/vinylester, basalt/vinylester, and basalt/epoxy FRP bars.” J. Compos. Constr., 04015008.
Borsellino, C., Calabrese, L., and Valenza, A. (2004). “Experimental and numerical evaluation of sandwich composite structures.” Compos. Sci. Technol., 64(10–11), 1709–1715.
Bozhevolnaya, E., and Lyckegaard, A. (2005). “Structurally graded core inserts in sandwich panels.” Compos. Struct., 68(1), 23–29.
Canning, L., Hollaway, L., and Thorne, A. M. (1999). “Manufacture, testing and numerical analysis of an innovative polymer composite/concrete structural unit.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Struct. Build., 134, 231–241.
D’Alessandro, V., Petrone, G., Franco, F., and De Rosa, S. (2013). “A review of vibroacoustics of sandwich panels: Models and experiment.” J. Sandwich Struct. Mater., 15(5), 541–582.
Davies, J. M. (2000). “European recommendations for sandwich panels. Part 1: Design.” International Council for Building Research, Studies and Documentation (CIB), Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Dawood, M., and Peirick, L. (2013). “Connection development and in-plane response of glass fiber reinforced polymer sandwich panels with reinforced cores.” Can. J. Civ. Eng., 40(11), 1117–1126.
Dawood, N., Taylor, E., Ballew, W., and Rizkalla, S. (2010). “Static and fatigue bending behavior of pultruded GFRP sandwich panels with through-thickness fiber insertions.” Composites Part B, 41(5), 363–374.
Demelio, G., Genovese, K., and Pappalettere, C. (2001). “An experimental investigation of static and fatigue behavior of sandwich composite panels joined by fasteners.” Composites Part B, 32(4), 299–308.
Fam, A., and Sharaf, T. (2010). “Flexural performance of sandwich panels comprising polyurethane core and GFRP skins and ribs of various configurations.” Compos. Struct., 92(12), 2927–2935.
Fang, H., Sun, H., Liu, W., Wang, L., Bai, Y., and Hui, D. (2015). “Mechanical performance of innovative GFRP-bamboo-wood sandwich beams: Experimental and modelling investigation.” Composites Part B, 79, 182–196.
Federation of European Rigid Polyurethane Foam Associations. (2006). “Thermal insulation materials made of rigid polyurethane foam (PUR/PIR).” Brussels, Belgium.
Garrido, M., Correia, J. R., Branco, F. A., and Keller, T. (2014). “Creep behavior of sandwich panels with rigid polyurethane foam core and glass-fiber reinforced polymer faces: Experimental tests and analytical modelling.” J. Compos. Mater., 48(18), 2237–2249.
Garrido, M., Correia, J. R., and Keller, T. (2015a). “Effects of elevated temperature on the shear response of PET and PUR foams used in composite sandwich panels.” Constr. Build. Mater., 76, 150–157.
Garrido, M., Correia, J. R., Keller, T., and Branco, F. A. (2015b). “Adhesively bonded connections between composite sandwich floor panels for building rehabilitation.” Compos. Struct., 134, 255–268.
Garrido, M., Correia, J. R., Keller, T., and Branco, F. A. (2016). “Connection systems between composite sandwich floor panels and load-bearing walls for building rehabilitation.” Eng. Struct., 106, 209–221.
Gdoutos, E. E., and Daniel, IM. (2008). “Failure mode of composite sandwich beams.” Theor. Appl. Mech., 35(1–3), 105–118.
Gibson, L. I., and Ashby, M. (1988). Cellular solids: Structure and properties, Pergamon Press, Oxford, U.K.
Grenestedt, J. L., and Bekisli, B. (2003). “Analyses and preliminary tests of a balsa sandwich core with improved shear properties.” Int. J. Mech. Sci., 45(8), 1327–1346.
Grunewald, J., Parlevliet, P., and Altstadt, V. (2015). “Manufacturing of thermoplastic composite sandwich structures: A review of literature.” J. Thermoplast. Compos. Mater., 1–28.
He, M., and Hu, W. (2008). “A study on composite honeycomb sandwich panel structure.” Mater. Des., 29(3), 709–713.
Heimbs, S., and Pein, M. (2009). “Failure behavior of honeycomb sandwich corner joints and inserts.” Compos. Struct., 89(4), 575–588.
Hollaway, L. C. (2010). “A review of the present and future utilisation of FRP composites in the civil infrastructure with reference to their important in-service properties.” Constr. Build. Mater., 24(12), 2419–2445.
Hurtado, M. A., Bansal, A., Paulotto, C., and Primi, S. (2012). “FRP girder bridges: Lessons learned in Spain in the last decade.” Proc., Int. Conf. on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering (CICE2012), Rome.
Jeon, J., Muliana, A., and La Saponara, V. (2014). “Thermal stress and deformation analyses in fiber reinforced polymer composites undergoing heat conduction and mechanical loading.” Compos. Struct., 111, 31–44.
John, M., Schlimper, R., Rinker, M., Wagner, T., Roth, A., and Schauble, R. (2011). “Long-term durability of CFRP foam core sandwich structures.” CEAS Aeronaut. J., 2(1–4), 213–221.
Kampner, M., and Grenestedt, J. L. (2008). “On using corrugated skins to carry shear in sandwich beams.” Compos. Struct., 85(2), 139–148.
Karlsson, K. F., and Astrom, B. T. (1997). “Manufacturing and applications of structural sandwich components.” Composites Part A, 28(2), 97–111.
Kawasaki, T., and Kawai, S. (2006). “Thermal insulation properties of wood-based sandwich panel for use as structural insulated walls and floors.” J. Wood Sci., 52(1), 75–83.
Kazemahvazi, S., Tanner, D., and Zenkert, D. (2009). “Corrugated all-composite sandwich structures. Part 2: Failure mechanisms and experimental programme.” Compos. Sci. Technol., 69(7–8), 920–925.
Keller, T., Haas, C., and Vallee, T. (2008). “Structural concept, design, and experimental verification of a glass fiber-reinforced polymer sandwich roof structure.” J. Compos. Constr., 454–468.
Keller, T., Rothe, J., de Castro, J., and Osei-Antwi, M. (2014). “GFRP-balsa sandwich bridge deck: Concept, design, and experimental validation.” J. Compos. Constr., .
Keller, T., Schaumann, E., and Vallee, T. (2007). “Flexural behavior of a hybrid FRP and lightweight concrete sandwich deck.” Composites Part A, 38(3), 879–889.
Keller, T., Vassilopoulos, A. P., and Manshadi, B. D. (2010). “Thermomechanical behavior of multifunctional GFRP sandwich structures with encapsulated photovoltaic cells.” J. Compos. Constr., 470–478.
Kepler, JA. (2011). “Simple stiffness tailoring of balsa sandwich core material.” Compos. Sci. Technol., 71(1), 46–51.
Kooistra, G. W., and Wadley, H. N. G. (2007). “Lattice truss structures from expanded metal sheet.” Mater. Des., 28(2), 507–514.
Lee, C. S., Lee, D. G., and Oh, J. H. (2004). “Co-cure bonding method for foam core composite sandwich manufacturing.” Compos. Struct., 66(1–4), 231–238.
Li, Z., Zheng, Z., Yu, J., Qian, C., and Lu, F. (2014). “Deformation and failure mechanisms of sandwich beams under three-point bending at elevated temperatures.” Compos. Struct., 111, 285–290.
Liu, W. Q., Fang, H., Wang, J., Qi, Y. J., and Wan, L. (2013). “The state-of-art on innovative fiber composite structures in civil engineering in China.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Engaging Young Engineers and Scientist in FRP Research, Kookmin Univ., Seoul, South Korea, 67–75.
Mak, K., Fam, A., and MacDougall, C. (2015a). “Flexural behavior of sandwich panels with bio-FRP skins made of flax fibers and epoxidized pine-oil resin.” J. Compos. Constr., 04015005.
Mak, K., Fam, A., and MacDougall, C. (2015b). “The effects of long-term exposure of flax fiber reinforced polymer to salt solution at high temperature on tensile properties.” Polym. Compos., in press.
Mamalis, A. G., Spentzas, K. N., Pantelelis, N. G., Manolakos, D. E., and Ioannidis, M. B. (2008). “A new hybrid concept for sandwich structures.” Compos. Struct., 83(4), 335–340.
Manalo, A. C. (2013). “Structural behavior of a prefabricated composite wall system made from rigid polyurethane foam and magnesium oxide board.” Constr. Build. Mater., 41, 642–653.
Manalo, A. C., and Aravinthan, T. (2012a). “Behavior of full-scale railway turnout sleepers from glue-laminated fiber composite sandwich structures.” J. Compos. Constr., 724–736.
Manalo, A. C., and Aravinthan, T. (2012b). “Behavior of glued fiber composite sandwich structure in flexure: Experiment and fiber model analysis.” Mater. Des., 39, 458–468.
Manalo, A. C., Aravinthan, T., and Karunasena, W. (2010a). “Flexural behavior of glue-laminated fiber composite sandwich beams.” Compos. Struct., 92(11), 2703–2711.
Manalo, A. C., Aravinthan, T., and Karunasena, W. (2010b). “In-plane shear behavior of structural fiber composite sandwiches using asymmetrical beam shear test.” Constr. Build. Mater., 24(10), 1952–1960.
Manalo, A. C., Aravinthan, T., and Karunasena, W. (2013a). “Mechanical properties characterization of the skin and core of a novel composite sandwich structure.” J. Compos. Mater., 47(14), 1785–1800.
Manalo, A. C., Aravinthan, T., and Karunasena, W. (2013b). “Shear behavior of glued structural fiber composite sandwich beams.” Constr. Build. Mater., 47, 1317–1327.
Manalo, A. C., Aravinthan, T., Karunasena, W., and Islam, M. (2010c). “Flexural behavior of structural fiber composite sandwich beams in flatwise and edgewise positions.” Compos. Struct., 92(4), 984–995.
Marsh, G. (2007). “Augmenting core values.” Reinf. Plast., 51(5), 34–38.
Mathieson, H., and Fam, A. (2014a). “High cycle fatigue under reversed bending of sandwich panels with GFRP skins and polyurethane foam core.” Compos. Struct., 113, 31–39.
Mathieson, H., and Fam, A. (2014b). “Static and fatigue behavior of sandwich panels with GFRP skins and governed by soft-core shear failure.” J. Compos. Constr., .
Mathieson, H., and Fam, A. (2015a). “Axial loading tests and simplified modelling of sandwich panels with GFRP skins and soft core at various slenderness ratio.” J. Compos. Constr., .
Mathieson, H., and Fam, A. (2015b). “Effect of internal ribs on fatigue performance of sandwich panels with GFRP skins and polyurethane foam core.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 27(2), 1–9.
Mathieson, H., and Fam, A. (2015c). “In-plane bending and failure mechanism of sandwich beams with GFRP skins and soft polyurethane foam core.” J. Compos. Constr., 04015020.
Mohamed, M., Anandan, S., Huo, Z., Birman, V., Volz, J., and Chandrashekhara, K. (2015). “Manufacturing and characterisation of polyurethane based sandwich composite structures.” Compos. Struct., 123, 169–179.
Mouritz, A. P., and Gibson, A. G. (2007). Fire properties of polymer composite materials, Springer, Netherlands.
Osei-Antwi, M., de Castro, J., Vassilopoulos, A., and Keller, T. (2013). “FRP-balsa composite sandwich deck with complex core assembly.” J. Compos. Constr., .
Osei-Antwi, M., de Castro, J., Vassilopoulos, A., and Keller, T. (2014a). “Analytical modelling of local stresses at balsa/timber core joints of FRP sandwich structures.” Compos. Struct., 116, 501–508.
Osei-Antwi, M., de Castro, J., Vassilopoulos, A., and Keller, T. (2014b). “Modelling of axial and shear stresses in multilayer sandwich beams with stiff core layers.” Compos. Struct., 116, 453–460.
Osei-Antwi, M., de Castro, J., Vassilopoulos, A., and Keller, T. (2014c). “Structural limits of FRP-balsa sandwich decks in bridge construction.” Composites Part B, 63, 77–84.
Osgood, C. C. (1982). Fatigue design, Wiley, Etobicoke, ON, Canada.
Patinha, S., Cunha, F., Fangueiro, R., Rana, S., and Prego, F. (2015). “Acoustical behavior of hybrid composite sandwich panels.” Key Eng. Mater., 634, 455–464.
Prasad, P. (2008). “Fiber composite railway transom.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Fiber Composites in Civil Infrastructure–Past, Present and Future, Univ. of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.
Primi, S., Areiza, M., Bansal, A., and Gonzalez, A. (2009). “New design and construction of road bridge in composites materials in Spain: Sustainability applied to civil works.” Proc., 9th Int. Symp. of the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement for Reinforced Concrete Structures (FRPRCS-9), Univ. of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia.
Qiao, P., Yang, M., Mosallam, A., and Song, G. (2008). “An over-height collision protection system of sandwich polymer composites integrated with remote monitoring for concrete bridge girders.”, Univ. of Akron, Akron, OH.
Queensland Government. (2009). “Composites in Industrial Plants—An introductory guide.” Queensland, Australia.
Reeve, S. (2013). “New FRP pedestrian bridge deck improves safety and provides critical connecting link.” JEC Compos. Mag., 85, 44.
Reis, E. M., and Rizkalla, S. H. (2008). “Material characteristics of 3-D FRP sandwich panels.” Constr. Build. Mater., 22(6), 1009–1018.
Reising, R. M., Shahrooz, B. M., Hunt, V. J., Neumann, A. R., Helmicki, A. J., and Hastak, M. (2004). “Close look at construction issues and performance of four fiber-reinforced polymer composite bridge decks.” J. Compos. Constr., 33–42.
SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering). (2010). “A balsa-cored bridge deck installed in Louisiana.” ⟨www.njsampe.org/Newsletters/MAR%202010.pdf⟩ (Dec. 3, 2010).
Sharaf, T., and Fam, A. (2011). “Experimental investigation of large-scale cladding sandwich panels under out-of-plane transverse loading for building applications.” J. Compos. Constr., 422–430.
Sharaf, T., and Fam, A. (2012). “Numerical modelling of sandwich panels with soft core and different rib configurations.” J. Reinf. Plast. Compos., 31(11), 771–784.
Steeves, C. A., and Fleck, N. A. (2004). “Collapse mechanisms of sandwich beams with composite faces and a foam core, loaded in three-point bending. Part II: Experimental investigation and numerical modelling.” Int. J. Mech. Sci., 46(4), 585–608.
Taher, S. T., Dulieu-Barton, J. M., and Thomsen, O. T. (2013). “Compressive behavior of PVC foam in elevated temperature using digital image correlation and a modified Arcan fixture.” Proc., 19th Int. Conf. on Composite Materials (ICCM), Canadian Association for Composite Structures and Materials, Boucherville, QC, Canada.
Torres, J. P., Hoto, R., Andres, J., and Garcia-Manrique, J. A. (2013). “Manufacture of green-composite sandwich structures with basalt fibers and bio-epoxy resin.” Adv. Mater. Sci. Eng., 2013, 1–9.
Van Erp, G. (2008). “Mechanics and technology of fiber composites.” Univ. of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.
Van Erp, G., and McKay, D. (2012). “Reinforced lignin polymer beams: A direct replacement for hardwood bridge beams.” Proc., 5th Australian Small Bridges Conf., ARRB Group, Vermont South, VIC, 1–9.
Van Erp, G., and McKay, M. (2013). “Recent Australian developments in fiber composite railway sleepers.” Electron. J. Struct. Eng., 13, 62–66.
Van Erp, G., and Rogers, D. (2008). “A highly sustainable fiber composite building panel.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Fiber Composites in Civil Infrastructure—Past, Present and Future, Univ. of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
Wicks, N., and Hutchinson, J. W. (2001). “Optimal truss plates.” Int. J. Solids Struct., 38(30–31), 5165–5183.
Yin, L., Zhao, R. X., and Ding, C. F. (2015). “Moisture absorption and mechanical degradation studies of PMI foam cored fiber/epoxy resin sandwich composites.” Int. J. Eng. Res. Appl., 5(4), 78–85.
Zenkert, D. (1995). An introduction to sandwich construction, Chameleon, London.
Zhou, A., and Keller, T. (2005). “Joining techniques for fiber reinforced polymer composite bridge deck systems.” Compos. Struct., 69(3), 336–345.
Zhu, X., Kim, B. J., Wang, Q., and Wu, Q. (2014). “Recent advances in the sound insulation properties of bio-based materials.” BioResources, 9(1), 1764–1786.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 21 • Issue 1 • February 2017
Copyright
©2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 21, 2015
Accepted: May 9, 2016
Published online: Jul 5, 2016
Discussion open until: Dec 5, 2016
Published in print: Feb 1, 2017
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.