Characterization of the longitudinal tensile behavior of pultruded I-shape structural members using coupon specimens

Abstract Durable, lightweight, and low cost pultruded structural composites are suitable materials for construction applications. An experimental program has been carried out to characterize the tensile behavior of pultruded composite I-shape structural members using coupon specimens of different widths cut from different locations. Results of material strength, modulus, and failure mechanisms are reported. It was observed that the specimen width and original location had significant effects on the variation of the test data. However the average strength and modulus values were not significantly affected by these factors. Recommended methods for specimen selection and for estimation of material property data for structural design are discussed.