Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 14(3), pp. 1391 - 1400
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2026.140301
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Experimental Investigation on the Flexural Behaviour of 3D Frame with Infilled GFRP Sections

Philip Saratha Joanna ¹, Nijampatnam Manikanta ¹, Nasrul Rain ¹, Liti H Yeptho ¹, Madanagopal Chinnasamy ¹, Daniel Cruze ^1,2,*, Samuel James ^1
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), India
² School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) is a polymer with superior corrosion resistance, strength-to-weight ratio, low thermal conductivity, lightweight properties, and resistance to chemical and microbiological compounds, making it a suitable alternative to steel. However, its brittle behavior under severe loading conditions, such as earthquakes, can be mitigated by infilling GFRP sections with sustainable concrete. The proposed study investigates the flexural behavior of two 3D frames constructed using GFRP square sections for beams and columns, along with a GFRP concrete composite deck; one frame with infilled square sections and the other without infilling. The GFRP composite slab consisted of a trapezoidal GFRP deck sheet at the bottom and a concrete topping, with GFRP ‘T' studs placed at regular intervals for proper bonding, and GFRP rods provided in both directions as reinforcement to take on temperature stresses. For the infilling of square sections and the concrete topping of the slab deck, M20-grade sustainable concrete mixes, in which 60% of the cement was replaced with Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), a steel industry waste, were used. The 3D frame was tested in a loading frame until failure. The results include crack pattern, load-deflection behavior, and stiffness of the beam and slab. The ultimate load-carrying capacity of the 3D GFRP frame achieved 102% increase through infilling its sections with GGBS-based concrete, making the GFRP composite system suitable for lightweight industrial structures.

KEYWORDS
3D Frame, Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), Flexural Behaviour, Sustainable Concrete, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS)

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Philip Saratha Joanna , Nijampatnam Manikanta , Nasrul Rain , Liti H Yeptho , Madanagopal Chinnasamy , Daniel Cruze , Samuel James , "Experimental Investigation on the Flexural Behaviour of 3D Frame with Infilled GFRP Sections," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 1391 - 1400, 2026. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2026.140301.

(b). APA Format:
Philip Saratha Joanna , Nijampatnam Manikanta , Nasrul Rain , Liti H Yeptho , Madanagopal Chinnasamy , Daniel Cruze , Samuel James (2026). Experimental Investigation on the Flexural Behaviour of 3D Frame with Infilled GFRP Sections. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 14(3), 1391 - 1400. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2026.140301.