Compression Performance of Square Steel Tubular Members Externally Enfolded with Carbon Fiber–Reinforced Polymer Sheet

Abstract

Carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites’ performance on metallic tubular sections under compression was investigated in this work. The strength and stiffness of CFRP strips strengthened metallic samples were estimated. Fiber plies were used in the band layout having a width of 70 mm, and the distance between the adjacent strips was kept at 60 mm. CFRP strips were externally wrapped in the steel tube with 1, 2, and 3 layers. All test samples were tested in a column testing machine. Experimental results indicated that the addition of CFRP layers exhibited more strength, ductility, and stiffness compared to the unwrapped sample. The addition of three CFRP layers showed an average compressive strength improvement of up to 35% compared to the bare sample.