Laminate Specification and Characterization Composite Bridge Decking Publication No. FHWA-HIF-12-020 January 2012 Notice This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document. Quality Assurance Statement The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWA-HIF-12-020 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Laminate Specification and Characterization: Composite January 2012 Bridge Decking 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. S.R. Ayers 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) BridgeComposites, LLC 121 Upper Bennett St. 11. Contract or Grant No. Hornell, NY 14843-1451 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Federal Highway Administration Highways for LIFE Program – HIHL-1 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, D.C. 20590 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract This report discusses work done on the specification and characterization of fiber-reinforced polymer laminate materials used for the trapezoidal profile used in creating a replacement deck unit. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Fiber-reinforced polymer, FRP, laminate, bridge No restrictions. This document is available to the public decking through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. 19. Security Classification (of this report) 20. Security Classification (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 46 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized ii TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................. 1 BACKGROUND RESEARCH .................................................................................................... 3 Resin Selection............................................................................................................................ 3 Reinforcement Selection ............................................................................................................. 7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 10 TESTING PROCEDURE FOR LAMINATES ........................................................................ 11 Specified Test Methods............................................................................................................. 11 Standard Test Method for Indentation Hardness of Rigid Plastics by Means of a Barcol Impressor................................................................................................................................... 12 LAMINATE TESTING .............................................................................................................. 13 Ice Shield Laminate Configuration ........................................................................................... 13 Results of Testing for Ice Shield Laminate ............................................................................... 15 ALTERNATIVE LAMINATE LAYUP PROPOSAL ............................................................. 17 Compmillenia Test Panel Results ............................................................................................. 20 ADDITIONAL LAMINATE CHARACTERIZATION WORK CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS ................................................................................................................................. 23 Pultruded Profile Laminate ....................................................................................................... 23 Additional Test Laminates ........................................................................................................ 28 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 29 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 33 APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................. 35 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Photo. Ice shield constructed by XC Associates. .......................................................... 13 Figure 2. Diagram. Geometry of ice shield profile with single cavity (dimensions in inches). ... 13 Figure 3. Photo. Plastic mold used to form the inner tube of the ice shield. ................................ 14 Figure 4. Diagram. Construction of deck profile from two trapezoidal tubes. ............................. 14 Figure 5. Diagram. Action of upper trapezoid surface under local wheel loading. ...................... 18 Figure 6. Diagram. Pultruded combi tube. .................................................................................... 23 Figure 7. Diagram. Laminate construction for pultruded combi tube. ......................................... 24 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. ASTM standard tests specified for sample laminates. .................................................... 11 Table 2. Ply sequence for ice shield laminates. ............................................................................ 15 Table 3. Predicted properties for ice shield trapezoid laminate. ................................................... 15 Table 4. Comparison of predicted values versus test values for ice shield sample laminate. ...... 16 Table 5. Total areal weight in each primary direction – ice shield laminate. ............................... 18 Table 6. Vectorply E-glass fabrics stocked by Compmillenia. ..................................................... 19 Table 7. Ply stacking sequence – Compmillenia laminate. .......................................................... 19 Table 8. Comparison of ice shield and Compmillenia layups. ..................................................... 20 Table 9. Tested properties of Compmillenia laminates. ............................................................... 21 Table 10. Predicted properties of pultruded tube versus tested ice shield laminate. .................... 24 Table 11. Ply details for horizontal walls of pultruded tube. ........................................................ 25 Table 12. Ply details for vertical walls of pultruded tube. ............................................................ 26 Table 13. Areal reinforcement weights (oz/yd2) of potential tube laminates. .............................. 26 Table 14. E-glass reinforcements for test laminates fabricated at LeTourneau University. ......... 27 Table 15. Resins for laminate testing and evaluation. .................................................................. 27 Table 16. Summary of test data as of November 1, 2011. ............................................................ 30 iv OVERVIEW A composite laminate is a structural plate consisting of multiple layers of fiber reinforcement encased in cured resin. The number of layers, the type of fiber (carbon, glass, or other), the fabric configuration (e.g., woven, stitched mat, uni-directional), the type of resin, and other factors can be varied to design a structural element that is suitable for a particular need. Raw materials (fiber, resin, and usually some filler) in themselves are not useful as a structural member, but when combined together, the product takes on new properties that make them desirable for use in structures. Laminates, or hardened sheets of composite material, usually are cut up into coupons for mechanical testing to validate the predicted properties. There are numerous resins on the market, but only the most durable are suitable for use as part of a bridge deck system. For this study, the project team performed a literature search to narrow the number of resins under consideration. They also requested composite test panels (also called “witness panels”) from several composite fabricators, then tested the panels that were received so that a variety of specimens could be compared. The project team also made use of data obtained from a recent project involving a composite “ice shield.” In some cases, incomplete data were obtained from suppliers, but it still made a contribution to the body of knowledge that was being built. Laboratory samples were prepared to make up for samples that were not readily available from other sources. Various manufacturing processes are being considered: hand, vacuum infusion, and pultrusion. This helps to widen the number of potential fabricators for this type of deck system, and it is hoped this will in turn promote broader acceptance and commercial adoption of the system. Various resins and