Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments
This study investigates the long-term durability of vacuum-infused glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite (GFRP) laminates and I-beams in marine environments. Through an extensive experimental program, material-level (laminates) and component-level (I-beams) specimens were subjected to three disti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525005418 |
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| author | Xinqiang Xi Shaojie Zhang Zhi-hao Hao Peng Feng Fei Zhao |
| author_facet | Xinqiang Xi Shaojie Zhang Zhi-hao Hao Peng Feng Fei Zhao |
| author_sort | Xinqiang Xi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the long-term durability of vacuum-infused glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite (GFRP) laminates and I-beams in marine environments. Through an extensive experimental program, material-level (laminates) and component-level (I-beams) specimens were subjected to three distinct aging conditions: natural offshore exposure; standard simulated marine environment (UV radiation with seawater immersion at room temperature), and accelerated aging condition (UV radiation with seawater immersion at 60°C). Tensile and compressive tests on laminates at different fiber orientations were conducted to evaluate anisotropic degradation, while flexural tests on I-beams evaluated component degradation. Microstructural characterization further revealed degradation mechanisms. In addition, a fluorocarbon coating was tested for its protective effectiveness. Key findings reveal that laminates and I-beams exhibited similar degradation trends under natural and standard environments, validating the reliability of laboratory simulations. While accelerated aging induced more severe degradation, failure mechanisms remained consistent. Laminates experienced greater strength degradation in tension (over 30 %) and compression (around 10 %) compared to the flexural strength degradation of I-beams (8.64 %) under the same conditions. Furthermore, the fluorocarbon coating effectively mitigated degradation, although its effectiveness declined at elevated temperature. This study enhances the understanding of GFRP durability in marine environments by correlating laboratory simulations with natural exposure, offering valuable insights for marine applications of vacuum-infused GFRP structures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e063c12e91c49cc95af4a634cec186c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2214-5095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e063c12e91c49cc95af4a634cec186c2025-08-20T01:49:48ZengElsevierCase Studies in Construction Materials2214-50952025-07-0122e0474310.1016/j.cscm.2025.e04743Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environmentsXinqiang Xi0Shaojie Zhang1Zhi-hao Hao2Peng Feng3Fei Zhao4School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Corresponding authors.School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Corresponding authors.This study investigates the long-term durability of vacuum-infused glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite (GFRP) laminates and I-beams in marine environments. Through an extensive experimental program, material-level (laminates) and component-level (I-beams) specimens were subjected to three distinct aging conditions: natural offshore exposure; standard simulated marine environment (UV radiation with seawater immersion at room temperature), and accelerated aging condition (UV radiation with seawater immersion at 60°C). Tensile and compressive tests on laminates at different fiber orientations were conducted to evaluate anisotropic degradation, while flexural tests on I-beams evaluated component degradation. Microstructural characterization further revealed degradation mechanisms. In addition, a fluorocarbon coating was tested for its protective effectiveness. Key findings reveal that laminates and I-beams exhibited similar degradation trends under natural and standard environments, validating the reliability of laboratory simulations. While accelerated aging induced more severe degradation, failure mechanisms remained consistent. Laminates experienced greater strength degradation in tension (over 30 %) and compression (around 10 %) compared to the flexural strength degradation of I-beams (8.64 %) under the same conditions. Furthermore, the fluorocarbon coating effectively mitigated degradation, although its effectiveness declined at elevated temperature. This study enhances the understanding of GFRP durability in marine environments by correlating laboratory simulations with natural exposure, offering valuable insights for marine applications of vacuum-infused GFRP structures.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525005418Vacuum infusionGFRPLaminatesI-beamsMarine environmentsLong-term performance |
| spellingShingle | Xinqiang Xi Shaojie Zhang Zhi-hao Hao Peng Feng Fei Zhao Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments Case Studies in Construction Materials Vacuum infusion GFRP Laminates I-beams Marine environments Long-term performance |
| title | Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments |
| title_full | Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments |
| title_fullStr | Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments |
| title_short | Durability assessment of vacuum-infused GFRP laminates and I-beams in marine environments |
| title_sort | durability assessment of vacuum infused gfrp laminates and i beams in marine environments |
| topic | Vacuum infusion GFRP Laminates I-beams Marine environments Long-term performance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525005418 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xinqiangxi durabilityassessmentofvacuuminfusedgfrplaminatesandibeamsinmarineenvironments AT shaojiezhang durabilityassessmentofvacuuminfusedgfrplaminatesandibeamsinmarineenvironments AT zhihaohao durabilityassessmentofvacuuminfusedgfrplaminatesandibeamsinmarineenvironments AT pengfeng durabilityassessmentofvacuuminfusedgfrplaminatesandibeamsinmarineenvironments AT feizhao durabilityassessmentofvacuuminfusedgfrplaminatesandibeamsinmarineenvironments |