A full carbon/glass fiber FRP bar connector with shearing stress-enhanced locking capability

In lieu of the conventional alloy connectors for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars, a new type of connector made fully of carbon/glass fibers is developed, demonstrating a shearing stress-enhanced locking capability. Fabricated using filament winding, the wedge-shaped, full composite connector boosts the clamping forces of the connector applied to FRP bars. The failure point of the FRP bar is migrated according to the shear stress distribution analysis on the FRP bar and the connector, while tensile tests are conducted to examine the effectively connecting capacity of the connector. This new type of FRP connector features a length and a weight that are, respectively, 62% smaller and 87% lighter than those of the currently prevailing connectors, thus offering a new approach to design and fabricate FRP bar connections to accommodate demanding engineering applications.