Developing an Adaptive Design Concept for Structural Composites

Current trends in materials engineering reveal efficient structural solutions developing possibilities. However, this fundamental improvement requires new design methodologies. This work introduces the adaptive design concept, which combines two essential parts—producing an experimentally verified numerical model that describes the structural behavior reference and tailoring the materials and structural performance to satisfy the modeled outcome. Exemplifying the proposed adaptive design idea, this work employs a hybrid beam, which combines the polymeric fiber-reinforced concrete (PFRC) slab, pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) profile, and pultruded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer strip distributed in the tensile zone of the profile. The considered structural element adapts the stress-ribbon bridge concept to create an efficient structural solution, which ensures the synergetic PFRC and pultruded GFRP profile effect by fixing the profile at the supports. This innovative structural solution contradicts the traditional concept of local bond improvement, e.g., employing GFRP profile perforation and mechanical anchorage systems. Furthermore, the proposed structural solution simplified the corresponding finite element model, assuming the perfect bond between the components. The physical tests proved the viability of the developed composite structure—the supports’ enhancement doubled the hybrid beam’s flexural stiffness and load-bearing capacity regarding the reference bridge with typical weak supports without the additional GFRP bond improvements.