Ziad K. Awad

Cost Optimum Design of Structural Fibre Composite Sandwich Panel for Flooring Applications

A new type of FRP composite panel suitable for civil engineering constructions has been invented by the Australian manufacturers. This new type of FRP structural sandwich Panel is made of fibre glass skins and modified phenolic core material with a density relatively higher than the normal sandwich panel. This panel is used for civil engineering applications of flooring system and glue laminate FRP beams. The extensive experimental work has been carried out by the Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC) at the University of Southern Queensland to find the strength parameters of this new sandwich panel. This research aims to develop an optimum design of the new FRP sandwich floor panel by using Finite Element (FE) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) method. The numerical FE shows a relatively accurate simulation for the behaviour of the FRP panel. The materials cost was regarded as an objective function with the EUROCOMP design constraints. The optimization shows that the skins orientations 0/90o would produce the best design for one-way spaning floor panel.

Finite element analysis of fibre reinforce concrete beam subject to high temperature by using EURO-code models

Glass fibre composite reinforcement bars have been used in the reinforced concrete structures as a powerful solution of the steel corrosion problem. This research work aims to use a 3D finite element method and EURO – code models to simulate a concrete beam reinforced with fibre composite bars under the effects of high temperature. The behaviour of the structure is very complex due to load combination and different material response. The applied load was an external mechanical load and a thermal load. The material response was considered as thermal expansion, cracking, crushing, yielding and changing of material properties with the temperature increase. The FE element was modified to allow temperature distribution and material properties changing to throw thickness of the concrete beam. In addition, the geometrical non – linearity is considered in the analysis due to the large deflection of the structure. The prediction results were compared with the available experimental results, and it gives a well correspond.