Effect of seawater on pin-loaded laminated composites

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of seawater on bearing strength of glass-epoxy laminated composites. The ratio of the edge distance to pin diameter (E/D) was changed from 1 to 5 and that of the specimen width to pin diameter (W/D) was selected as 3 and 4 for this study. The hole of the specimen was subjected to a traction force induced by a pin. Laminated composite plates were manufactured at the Company Izoreel Composites. Tension tests were performed on pinned joint specimens with a stacking sequence of [0/90](3S). The specimens were immersed in seawater of the Aegean Sea having a salinity of about 3.5 wt.-% in a glass aquarium at laboratory for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. For each period of immersion time, failure modes and maximum failure loads of the specimens were found experimentally. The maximum reduction of the bearing strength was obtained as 38 % for E/D = 3 and W/D = 3 due to the seawater effect