AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightThe findings indicate that relying solely on manufacturer catalogue values may not adequately represent the actual mechanical performance of woven CFRP fabrics used in structural strengthening applications.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
In this study, the tensile behavior of ten commercially available woven CFRP fabrics widely used in structural strengthening applications was experimentally investigated at the material level. Tensile tests were conducted on unimpregnated CFRP fabric strips using a universal testing machine under identical loading conditions, following a procedure close to the ASTM D5035 strip test method. Maximum tensile force, nominal tensile stress, and strain capacity were evaluated, where strain values were derived from crosshead displacement. The experimental results revealed pronounced variability among the investigated CFRP fabrics. The maximum nominal tensile stress ranged approximately from 40 to 140 MPa, while the maximum strain varied between 1.1% and 2.7%. The findings indicate that relying solely on manufacturer catalogue values may not adequately represent the actual mechanical performance of woven CFRP fabrics used in structural strengthening applications. Therefore, preliminary material-level tensile testing can provide a practical quality assessment step for comparing commercially available CFRP fabrics prior to strengthening applications.