Mechanical Testing of Connections Blind Bolted to the Thick Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Spar Cap of a Decommissioned GE37 Wind Turbine Blade
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 27, Issue 3
Abstract
Millions of tons of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite wind turbine blades are expected to age out of service over the next 30 years. Research is being conducted on repurposing these structures as new civil infrastructure products. The GFRP material in these decommissioned wind blades has been shown to retain significant strength and stiffness for second-life applications. However, for repurposing as new products, they will need to be connected to other structural members. The connections employed for this need to be designed, evaluated, and tested prior to their use. Here, we present the results of detailed testing of bolted connections for load-carrying appurtenances that will carry the phases and shield wires (e.g., insulators, crossarms, davits, guy wires, posts) to the spar cap of an 11-year-old 1.5 MW GE37 wind blade, intended for use as a repurposed transmission pole (i.e., a BladePole). Details of ASTM-type pull-out and bearing capacity tests using different types of blind bolts, and tests of a full-scale steel bracket connection called a “universal connector,” are reported. The effects of the different blind bolts, pin diameters, and loading directions relative to the composite laminate structure (longitudinal or transverse) for both the coupon- and full-scale connector bracket tests are described. The ability to design and construct robust connections for repurposed wind blade structures was demonstrated.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
Support for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grants 2016409, 1701413, and 1701694, by InvestNI/Department for the Economy (DfE) under Grant 16/US/3334, and by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under Grant USI-116 as part of the US–Ireland tripartite research program.
The authors would like to thank the Logisticus Group of Greenville, South Carolina, for supplying the spar cap specimens for testing and Hubbell Power Systems for supplying the braced-line posts.
References
Al-Haddad, T., A. Alshannaq, L. Bank, M. Bermek, R. Gentry, Y. Henao-Barragan, S. Li, A. Poff, J. Respert, and C. Woodham. 2022. “Strategies for redesigning high performance FRP wind blades as future electrical infrastructure.” In ARCC-EAAE 2022 Int. Conf. – Resilient City: Physical, Social, and Economic Perspectives. San Antonio, TX: Architectural Research Centers Consortium, Inc.
Alshannaq, A. A., L. C. Bank, D. W. Scott, and T. R. Gentry. 2021. “Structural analysis of a wind turbine blade repurposed as an electrical transmission pole.” J. Compos. Constr. 25 (4): 04021023. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0001136.
Alshannaq, A. A., J. A. Respert, L. C. Bank, D. W. Scott, and T. R. Gentry. 2022. “As-received physical and mechanical properties of the spar cap of a GE37 decommissioned GFRP wind turbine blade.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 34 (10): 04022266. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0004410.
ASCE. Forthcoming. Load and resistance factor design (LRFD) for pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) structures. Reston, VA: ASCE.
ASTM. 2016. Standard test method for measuring the fastener pull-through resistance of a fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite. ASTM-D7332. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2017a. Standard test method for bearing response of polymer matrix composite laminates. ASTM-D5961. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2017b. Standard practice for evaluating material property characteristic values for polymeric composites for civil engineering structural applications. ASTM-D7290. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2019. Standard test method for pin-bearing strength of plastics. ASTM-D953. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Bank, L., E. Delaney, J. Mckinley, R. Gentry, and P. Leahy. 2021. “Defining the landscape for wind blades at the end of service life”. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/defining-the-landscape-for-wind-blades-at-the-end-of-service-life.
Bank, L. C. 2006. Composites for construction: Structural design with FRP materials. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
BlindBolt. 2022. “Blind bolt product specification Geomet 500B – Property Class 10.9 – GBB24130DTASM – M24X130.” Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.blindbolt.co.uk/the-blind-bolt/technical-data/.
Brøndsted, P., H. Lilholt, and A. Lystrup. 2005. “Composite materials for wind power turbine blades.” Annu. Rev. Mater. Res. 35 (1): 505–538. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.matsci.35.100303.110641.
Chen, J., J. Wang, and A. Ni. 2019. “Recycling and reuse of composite materials for wind turbine blades: An overview.” J. Reinf. Plast. Compos. 38 (12): 567–577. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731684419833470.
CompositesWorld. 2022. “Re-wind network successfully installs repurposed wind blade pedestrian bridge.” Accessed April 25, 2022. https://www.compositesworld.com/news/re-wind-network-successfully-installs-repurposed-wind-blade-pedestrian-bridge.
Cooperman, A., A. Eberle, and E. Lantz. 2021. “Wind turbine blade material in the United States: Quantities, costs, and end-of-life options.” Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 168: 105439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105439.
Creative Pultrusion. 2022. “The new and improved pultex® pultrusion design manual of standard and custom fiber reinforced polymer structural profiles.” Accessed February 15, 2022. https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/457166/DMV5R12%20(002).pdf.
Goodman, J. H. 2010. “Architectonic reuse of wind turbine blades.” In SOLAR 2010 ASES Conf., 1–8. Red Hook, NY: Curran Associates. Accessed June 18, 2021. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joel-Goodman-2/publication/343403060_ARCHITECTONIC_REUSE_OF_WIND_TURBINE_BLADES/links/5f28575e92851cd302d8425f/ARCHITECTONIC-REUSE-OF-WIND-TURBINE-BLADES.pdf.
Jensen, J. P., and K. Skelton. 2018. “Wind turbine blade recycling: Experiences, challenges and possibilities in a circular economy.” Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 97: 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.08.041.
Joustra, J., B. Flipsen, and R. Balkenende. 2021a. “Structural reuse of high end composite products: A design case study on wind turbine blades.” Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 167: 105393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105393.
Joustra, J., B. Flipsen, and R. Balkenende. 2021b. “Structural reuse of wind turbine blades through segmentation.” Composites, Part C: Open Access 5: 100137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomc.2021.100137.
Liu, P., and C. Y. Barlow. 2017. “Wind turbine blade waste in 2050.” Waste Manage. 62: 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.02.007.
Luo, F., Y. Bai, and Y. Lu. 2013. “Joining pultruded FRP tubular components into space latticed shell structure–Joint design and performance.” In Proc., 4th Asia–Pacific Conf. on FRP in Structures, 1–6. Winnipeg, MB, Canada: International Institute for FRP in Construction.
Luo, F. J., Y. Bai, X. Yang, and Y. Lu. 2016. “Bolted sleeve joints for connecting pultruded FRP tubular components.” J. Compos. Constr. 20 (1): 04015024. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000580.
Matharu, N. S., and J. T. Mottram. 2017. “Plain and threaded bearing strengths for the design of bolted connections with pultruded FRP material.” Eng. Struct. 152: 878–887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.10.003.
McDonald, A., C. Kiernicki, M. Bermek, Z. Zhang, A. Poff, S. Kakkad, E. Lau, F. Arias, R. Gentry, and L. Bank. 2022. “Re-wind design catalog 2nd edition fall/autumn 2022.” Accessed November 9, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b324c409772ae52fecb6698/t/636bd07125aeb5312a8e320e/1668010099748/Re-Wind+Design+Catalog+Fall+2022+Nov+9+2022+%28low+res%29.pdf.
McMaster-Carr. 2022. “Anchor for hollow block and brick, stud-style, 3/8” diameter, 6” long – 94255A500.” Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.mcmaster.com/standard-anchors/anchor-type∼toggle/.
Mishnaevsky, L., K. Branner, H. N. Petersen, J. Beauson, M. McGugan, and B. F. Sørensen. 2017. “Materials for wind turbine blades: An overview.” Materials 10 (11): 1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10111285.
Mottram, J. T., and B. Zafari. 2011. “Pin-bearing strengths for bolted connections in fibre-reinforced polymer structures.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng.: Struct. Build. 164 (5): 291–305. https://doi.org/10.1680/stbu.2011.164.5.291.
Oliveux, G., L. O. Dandy, and G. A. Leeke. 2015. “Current status of recycling of fibre reinforced polymers: Review of technologies, reuse and resulting properties.” Prog. Mater. Sci. 72: 61–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2015.01.004.
RS Technologies Inc. 2022. “RS Pole BlindNut Technology.” Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.rspoles.com/installation-support.
Ruane, K., et al. 2022. “Material and structural characterization of a wind turbine blade for use as a bridge girder.” Transp. Res. Rec. 2676 (8): 354–362. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221083619.
Satasivam, S., and Y. Bai. 2014. “Mechanical performance of bolted modular GFRP composite sandwich structures using standard and blind bolts.” Compos. Struct. 117: 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2014.06.011.
Suhail, R., J.-F. Chen, T. R. Gentry, B. Tasistro-Hart, Y. Xue, and L. C. Bank. 2019. “Analysis and design of a pedestrian bridge with decommissioned FRP windblades and concrete.” In Proc., 14th Int. Symp. on Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement of Concrete Structures, 1–5. Belfast, UK: IIFC. Accessed August 24, 2021. www.iifc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/FRPRCS14.zip.
Wu, C., Y. Bai, and J. T. Mottram. 2016. “Effect of elevated temperatures on the mechanical performance of pultruded FRP joints with a single ordinary or blind bolt.” J. Compos. Constr. 20 (2): 04015045. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000608.
Wu, C., P. Feng, and Y. Bai. 2015. “Comparative study on static and fatigue performances of pultruded GFRP joints using ordinary and blind bolts.” J. Compos. Constr. 19 (4): 04014065. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000527.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 27 • Issue 3 • June 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 4, 2022
Accepted: Jan 28, 2023
Published online: Mar 22, 2023
Published in print: Jun 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Aug 22, 2023
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.