In this study, we investigated the shear properties of pultruded fiber reinforced polymer plastic (PFRP) composites. Especially, we focused on the relationship between the shear properties of PFRP and other mechanical properties of PFRP composites by comparing the experimental results with the theoretical results. We compared the shear characteristics obtained by the tensile test and calculated from the theoretical equation proposed in previous work. It was found that the shear modulus of elasticity predicted by using the theoretical formula is close to the shear modulus of elasticity obtained by the 45° off-axis tensile test.

In the sewer pipes, reinforced concrete pipes and concrete pipes are mostly used. However, it is difficult to ensure the long-term durability of the pipe due to the corrosion of the rebar which is used for the reinforcement of the concrete. Also, reinforced concrete pipes are difficult to secure watertightness due to deterioration and corrosion by hydrogen sulfide. In order to solve such problems, research on using sewer pipes made of plastic materials is being actively conducted. When soil pressure and live load act on the buried flexible pipe, the load acting on the pipe is transferred to the surrounding soil. So, the flexible pipe will support the load with the surrounding soil together. It is difficult to predict these behaviors theoretically and clearly. Therefore, the design equation for the buried flexible pipe is analyzed by adopting theoretically idealized assumptions and it is estimated through experimental studies that it is similar to the actual structural behavior. In this paper, the mechanical properties of the soil and the polyethylene pipe were considered in application of the method proposed in ASTM D 2412 to design the buried polyethylene pipe. Also, structural behavior of the pipe resisting external loads such as soil pressure was investigated to use a polyethylene pipe as the buried pipe and the long-term behavior of the polyethylene pipe was predicted by the compaction rate of surrounding backfill soil through the field test.

Conventional steel and concrete piles are widely applied in civil engineering industries with long time experience and many advantages. However, steel pipe piles, a sort of most common steel pile, are prone to losing their structural integrity over time due to corrosive and humid conditions. Moreover, concrete piles such as in-situ concrete piles and pretensioned spun high strength concrete (PHC) piles are subject to deterioration of their long-term structural durability. Therefore, Hybrid FRP-concrete composite pile (HCFFT) was developed. HCFFT is consisted of pultruded FRP (PFRP) unit module, filament winding FRP which is in the outside of mandrel composed of circular shaped assembly of PFRP unit modules, and concrete which is casted inside of the circular tube shaped hybrid FRP pile. Therefore, PFRP can increase the flexural load carrying capacity, while filament winding FRP and concrete filled inside can increase axial load carrying capacity. In this paper, field loading experiments were conducted to evaluate field bearing capacity of HCFFT pile with connection and HCFFT pile without connection.

A pultruded fiber reinforced polymer plastic (PFRP) structural member consisted of plate elements, which is commonly used as construction member, may be considered as an orthotropic material due to its unique manufacturing process. It has different mechanical properties with respect to the longitudinal and transverse directions. This orthotropic nature of PFRP material needs to be considered in the analysis of buckling behavior. In this paper, a simplified buckling analysis for PFRP plate using geometric mean of the longitudinal and transverse mechanical properties is performed. The comparison between exact buckling analysis and simplified buckling analysis is conducted. Each analysis is performed by the Levy method and the finite element method (FEM), respectively.

In general, polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and ductile cast iron pipes are widely used in the water supply pipeline system. However, they have some disadvantages such as reduced durability due to material degradation, defects in connections, breakage of pipelines, and difficulties in continuous maintenance. To mitigate such problems, recently, research on durable and outstanding corrosion resistant glass fiber reinforced polymer plastic (GFRP) pipe is being actively conducted. GFRP is classified into the flexible pipe and when soil pressure and live load act on buried GFRP pipe, the load acting on the pipe is transferred to the surrounding soil. So, it should review the structural behavior and interaction between buried pipe and its surrounding soil because pipe will support the load with the surrounding soil together at the same time. To apply GFRP pipe for the water supply pipeline system, the structural reliability of GFRP water supply pipe buried underground should be investigated by examining the mechanical properties of GFRP pipe as well as the soundness of the pipe under buried state. The field test of buried pipe is conducted and the results are analyzed and discussed.

In the water supply pipeline system polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and ductile cast iron pipe are mostly used. However, they have some problems such as reduced durability due to material degradation, defects in connections, the pipelines breakage, and lack of continuous maintenance. Recently, research on durable and outstanding corrosion resistance glass fiber reinforced polymer plastic (GFRP) pipe is being actively conducted. GFRP is classified into the flexible pipe and when soil pressure and live load act on buried GFRP pipe, the load acting on the pipe is transferred to the surrounding soil. So, pipe will support the load with the surrounding soil. In this paper, to apply GFRP pipe for the water supply pipeline system, the structural reliability of GFRP water supply pipe buried underground should be investigated by examining the mechanical properties of GFRP pipe as well as the soundness of the pipe under buried state. The field test of buried pipe is conducted and the results are analyzed and discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an interactive method, which is designed to select the optimal preferred alternative for the MLDM(Multiple-the Larger-the better type Decision-Making) proble- ms with the-larger-the-better quality characteristics. The basic idea of the paper is essentially to eliminate inefficient alternative based on the concept of Taguchi Signal-to-Noise Ratio and the cutting range instead of using UVF(Utility/Value Function) on the group of attributes that can be considered importantly by the decision makers. As a result, the method proposed in the paper for MLDM problems can be significant in that the change of characteristics is transformed into the size of Signal-to-Noise Ratio, which can be relatively easy to understand by decision makers.