Effect of operating temperature on the dynamic properties of a pultruded GFRP footbridge

Pultruded glass fibre-reinforced polymer (pGFRP) composites have seen increasing applications in construction of bridge structures. Depending on the location, these pGFRP bridges can be exposed to different operational temperature which results from climate or seasonal changes. In some countries, temperatures fluctuate between extremes of hot and cold weathers. Consequently, the question arises on whether the varying operational temperature affects the performance of pGFRP footbridges. This paper investigates the effect of operating temperature on the dynamic properties of a pGFRP footbridge built in Melbourne. This paper presents the results from an on-going dynamic testing procedure which was conducted over a period of 9 months. The measurement period covered a range of temperatures. At this stage, the results show that variation of dynamic properties due to temperature is insignificant. Although there is apparent linear relationship between modal properties and temperature for the first two modes of the footbridge, the data is insufficient to justify any relationship. The outputs of this work serve as a basis for the next stages of study pertaining the temperature effects on the modal properties of the pGFRP footbridge. Overall, this work should provide an insight on the performance of pGFRP bridges under varying operating temperatures.