NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF RESIDUAL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF GFRP STRIPS UNDER BLOWN-SAND EROSION

In order to investigate the blown-sand erosion resistance of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) strips, the experimental research and finite element numerical simulation analysis on the residual mechanical properties of GFRP strips had been completed by taking the erosion velocity and time as the variables. The scanning electron microscope test results indicated that with the increase of the erosion velocity and time, the damage and destruction of the GFRP strips enhanced. Moreover, the epoxy adhesive was prone to peeling off, and the internal fibers might undergo fracture. Through the residual mechanical property test on the GFRP strips after blown-sand erosion, it could be found that the failure of GFRP strips was characterized by brittle tensile fracture. As the erosion velocity went up, the maximum degrease in the peak load of the test specimens was about 25.0%, while with the accumulation of the erosion time, the ultimate load of the GFRP strips could decrease by 36.4%. And the erosion velocity and time would deteriorate the overall mechanical properties of GFRP strips to different degrees. Therefore, the residual mechanical properties of GFRP strips could be affected obviously. A finite element model of GFRP strips after blown-sand erosion was established by the equivalent treatment of blown-sand erosion loading using the Dirac function. And the reliability of the model had been verified through the experimental data. Based on the newly proposed numerical model, parameter analysis had been conducted on the erosion velocity and time, and it could be acquired that as the erosion velocity and time increased, the degradation rate of GFRP strips accelerated considerably.