A Study on the Design Curves for Pultruded Composite Columns

Abstract

The strengths of PFRP thin-walled columns are determined according to the modes of buckling which consist of local mode for short columns, global mode for long columns, and interaction mode between local and global modes for intermediate columns. Unlike the local and global buckling, the buckling strength of interaction mode is not theoretically predictable. Refined theoretical approaches which can account for different elastic properties of each plate component consisting of a PFRP thin-walled member are used. Based on both the analytical buckling loads and the experimentally measured buckling loads from literatures, the accuracies of Ylinen's equation and modified AISC/LRFD column design equation for isotropic steel columns were compared. From the comparison, it was found that the modified AISC/LRFD column design equation is more suitable for the prediction of the buckling loads of PFRP thin-walled members than Ylinen's equations.