Fibre composite piles and adaptors

Fibre composites have inherent material properties that are better than other materials such as steel, timber or concrete in numerous environments. In the marine and ground-zone environments in particular, fibre composite materials can be selected for their corrosion, rot, and pest resistance, as well as high strength-to-weight ratio. This research aims to design and develop FRP pile and adaptor systems for pile replacement for piers, jetties, bridges and boardwalks using fibre composite technology to enable replacement of those items for rehabilitation as well as new construction of the structures.

Fibre composites have not been used in this specific manner previously. While there have been fibre composite wraps developed, these are not a replacement system and has inherent weaknesses in application, being more difficult to install and needing to be highly tailored to specific instances. This research is being conducted from an engineering perspective to make the systems relatively simple to install. The systems will be able to be mass produced and will take the full working loads while ensuring a life span of 50-100 years with minimal maintenance. 

Student

Mr Chamila Sirimanna 

Supervisors

Dr Mainul Islam
Assoc Prof Thiru Aravinthan