Investigating the Compressive Response of Hand-Laminated GFRP Pipes in the Hoop Direction through Experiment and FEM Modeling

Abstract

Composite materials represent a relatively recent development with compelling attributes such as lightweight and high durability, making them increasingly appealing for diverse engineering applications, notably in aerospace. This study investigates the compressive performance of a hand-layup manufactured composite glass fiber reinforced polymer pipe. Experimental compression tests were conducted following ASTM guidelines using a universal testing machine (UTM). Mechanical responses under axial compression were evaluated for hoop orientation, with analysis of fracture surfaces revealing various damage mechanisms including debonding, whitening, matrix cracking, delamination, and fiber splitting. The study reports a maximum compressive strength of 6.88 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 382.24 MPa in the hoop direction, with the maximum load sustained being 6.797 kN. Furthermore, the model was validated using the Finite Element Analysis in Abaqus, which showed good alignment between the experimental findings and the FEM modeling results. This work provides insights that are potentially useful for applications in the aerospace sector.