Date of Graduation

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair

Hota GangaRao

Committee Co-Chair

Udaya Halabe

Committee Member

Mark Skidmore

Abstract

Over the last fifty years, Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite materials have been employed in civil engineering applications for rehabilitation of deteriorated infrastructure and for new construction. In addition to steel and high-density polyethylene, glass-fiber reinforced polymer pipes (GFRP) are now being employed in natural gas gathering and distribution lines. As energy demands have grown, researchers have begun to investigate feasibility of GFRP pipe implementation in high- pressure, transmission lines. These investigations have sought to determine GFRP pipe properties of strength, stiffness, corrosion resistance, failure modes, and long-term behavior.;During this project, hydrostatic burst pressure testing (internal water pressure) and split ring testing were conducted on 6-inch and 10-inch diameter, pultruded and filament wound pipes, as well as 10-inch diameter filament wound, butt joints. These tests were conducted to determine elastic properties, failure progression, and failure predictions for short time loadings. In addition to testing, the Classical Lamination Theory (CLT) was employed to predict elastic behavior, including strength and stiffness of the pipes. Testing and analysis of the pipes were conducted to determine the strength of pipes under sustained pressure, which is approximately 30 percent of the short time, burst pressure failure strength.;The results from the tests indicate that filament wound pipes provide better resistance to internal pressures than pultruded pipes and that joints continue to be the limiting component in pipelines. A 6-inch diameter pultruded pipe was tested to a burst pressure of 1,000 psi. Three 10-inch diameter, pultruded pipes were tested to internal pressures of 300 psi. Three 10-inch diameter, thin-walled, filament wound pipes (0.45 inch thick) were tested to pressures of 3,000 psi, while three 10 inch diameter, thick walled, filament wound pipes (0.8 inch thick) were tested to burst pressures between 4,000 and 5,200 psi. Two GFRP filament wound butt joints were tested to pressures of 1,000 psi.;The research resulted in an excellent methodology for burst pressure testing. The hydrostatic test method was found to produce elastic results matching well with CLT predictions and split-ring test results. The hydrostatic test method results did not match well with CLT predictions or split-ring test results in terms of failure progression and failure predictions.

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