Local buckling of hybrid FRP-timber thin-walled columns: An experimental investigation

Recent research at the University of Queensland (UQ) has led to the development of a new type of structures called “hybrid fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)-timber (HFT) structures”. In HFT structures, FRP is combined with timber veneers to create high-performance, lightweight, easy-to-construct structural members. These HFT members utilize the orthotropic properties of both timber and FRP in a complementary combination to produce much improved composite properties and to maximise the load-carrying capacity of members for a given amount of material. While preliminary experimental work has demonstrated the potential of HFT sections as high-performance sustainable structural components, much more work is needed to better understand the behaviour of HFT structures. This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the local buckling behaviour of HFT thin-walled Cee section short columns. The experimental programme consisted of fifteen HFT column specimens, including all-timber columns and three different types of HFT columns. The test results are presented and discussed. HFT Cee section short columns carried significantly higher axial loads than the corresponding all-timber columns. The ultimate load-to-weight ratio of the HFT sections is shown to be comparable to or significantly higher than that of cold-formed thin-walled steel Cee sections.