Surprisingly
little research has been conducted on the
strengthening of timber with fibre
reinforced polymer
(FRP) composites as opposed to the much more widely
researched
strengthening of concrete and to a lesser extent metallic
structures. As with all FRP strengthening
applications, the bond of the FRP to
the substrate is of particular importance. A lack of understanding of the bond
between FRP and timber is a major factor contributing to the reluctance of
industry to utilise FRP for timber strengthening applications. This paper
reports results of preliminary bond strength tests undertaken at the University
of Technology Sydney (UTS) on FRPstrengthened timber joints. The aims of the
tests were to observe the suitability of the test method, quality of the bond,
bond strength and failure mode of the test specimens.