Glass fibre reinforced composite ma

Glass fibre reinforced composite materials are low cost, light-weight, better mechanical properties,
free from health hazard, and thus have the potential for aircraft, automobile and similar structural
application..Recently, glass-fibre -reinforced polymers(GFRP) are being increasingly used in construction
applications ranging from seismic retrofit of columns and strengthening of walls, slabs, to new building frames
and even bridges because of a number of advantageous characteristics and anticorrosion properties [1 and2].It is
also well known that there is a degradation of material property during its service life, as it is often subjected to
environments with high temperature and humidity or having a sharp rise and fall of temperature (thermal
spikes). The deterioration that occurs is GFRP during the service life is in general, linked to the level of
moisture that is absorbed. The absorption of moisture can be attributed largely to the affinity for moisture of
specific functional groups of a highly polar nature in the cured resin. The absorption of moisture causes
plasticization of the resin to occur with a concurrent swelling and lowering the glass transition temperature of
the resin. This adversely effects the fiber-matrix adhesion properties, resulting debonding at fiber/matrix
interfaces, micro-cracking in the matrix, fiber fragmentations, continuous cracks and several other phenomena
that actually degrades the mechanical property of the composites.