Effect of Loading Height on the GFRP I-Beam Using Finite Element Analysis

Glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) is a better alternative to the conventional material used in the building and other construction and manufacturing industries due to its high stiffness-to-weight ratio, strength-to-weight ratio, and resistance to corrosion and other environmental effects. This study presented the linear eigenvalue analysis to study the influence of loading height on the GFRP I-section under simply supported boundary conditions. Using the FEM software ABAQUS, various numerical analyses were conducted on the six different cross-sections having three equal web and flange thicknesses and three un-equal for various lengths spanning from 1000 to 4500 mm to cover the wide slenderness ratio under the mid-span concentrated point load. Cross-section dimensions were selected from the design manual and the available section in the market to ensure better usage of the outcome of the study. Three different loading locations—at the shear centre, at the junction of the bottom flange and web, and at the junction of the top flange and web were considered to examine the impact of loading height on the lateral torsional buckling (LTB) strength. From the obtained results, it was concluded that with an increase in the L/h ratio, the effect of loading height decreases for the same cross-section, and with the increase in the depth of the section, the impact of loading height was increased for the same length.