×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

FRP ledge angle

FRP ledge angle

FRP ledge angle

(OP)
I have very little experience using FRP so I am looking for some input here from folks who have worked with this material. Please see the attached sketch. The FRP angle is proposed (by the architect) to support the curtain wall and its preferred over steel because for better thermal results.

• The little bit of research I have done indicates that FRP angle can't be used in flexure. I am not sure if that applies to this condition.
• Second question: Are their grades of FRP similar to aluminum and if so what the most common grade/type.

RE: FRP ledge angle

This detail scares the cr&* out of me considering having to deal with the brick veneer lateral support too.

Thermal breaks are great for energy savings, but at the expense of the structure is always a concern to me.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

RE: FRP ledge angle

(OP)
M2: Are you referring to some ties from the veneer that may end up @ the angle? Because the angle is not carrying any brick, only the curtain wall.

RE: FRP ledge angle

Not a snowball's chance in hell that I'd do that. FRP is great stuff in the right application. This is not one of those. FRP is susceptible to creep (exacerbated if exposed to thermal cycling) and this one could be under multiple modes of stress at the same time. Wouldn't do it.

RE: FRP ledge angle

You can use FRP plate shims behind the angle for a thermal break.

RE: FRP ledge angle

(OP)
Book, I was thinking the same. Thermal break won't be as good as the arch would probably like but structure comes first.

RE: FRP ledge angle

I can't speak to the thermal break issue, but a comment about the use of FRP here in general ...

First of all there are no real "grades" of FRP. As a matter of fact, while processes and profiles may be similar from vendor to vendor they are not automatically interchangeable. It is much like getting anchors from Powers or Hilti - kinda similar but each has their own characteristics. One more elaboration... FRP encompasses much more than the plates and profiles referred to here. These other items are manufactured far differently and have wide ranging strengths and properties. This detail is referring specifically to pultrusions.

I don't know the clearances involved or the design requirements, but be aware that FRP has as much as 3x the thermal expansion of steel.

In the Modern Steel article there is a detail of a bent plate of FRP. You could fabricate such a critter, but not bend it like steel.

All the best.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources