A novel sandwich composite footbridge is presented in the paper, as an example of practical application of laminated composites in civil engineering. The in situ static load tests of the footbridge before its acceptation for exploitation are shown and discussed. The results are compared with the corresponding ones from a numerical equivalent single layer model of the sandwich structure created within the framework of finite element...

A modern sandwich composite footbridge made of high-tech materials, being an example of practical application of laminated composites in civil engineering, is presented. The in situ non-destructive testing of the footbridge, aiming to identify modal properties and pedestrian comfort, is described. The measured eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies are compared with numerically estimated values. Finite element analyses of the footbridge...

In the paper behaviour of laminated sandwich beams (FRP face sheet – PET foam core – FRP face sheet) subjected to three point bending is studied. The paper aim is to find practical descriptions enabling effective and accurate estimation of the elastic response, damage and failure of the beams, basing on experiments and static calculations. Therefore a number of tests are described, that were done on laminated coupons and foam specimens...