Nondestructive test and prediction of MOE of FRP reinforced fast-growing poplar glulam

The modulus of elasticity (MOE) of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) reinforced fast-growing poplar glulam was investigated and predicted in this study. Firstly, MOE of FRP reinforced glulam with different FRP lengths were measured by longitudinal vibration and static bending tests and the effect of FRP length on MOE was investigated. Secondly, MOE of FRP globally reinforced (GR) poplar glulam and non-reinforced (NR) poplar glulam was predicted by improved transformed section method based on dynamic MOE of poplar laminas. At last, the deflection curve equation of FRP locally reinforced (LR) poplar glulam was obtained by singularity function method. Then MOE was predicted based on deflection curve equation of LR glulam. The results indicated that the reinforced effect of FRP on MOE of reinforced glulam increased as the FRP length increased. The predicted MOE had a good agreement with measured static MOE of glulam, and the accuracy of MOE prediction of LR glulam decreased as the FRP length decreased. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.