Experimental investigation of the durability of load bearing timber-glass composites under the effects of accelerated aging

Although timber was used extensively as a structural material for traditional buildings in Turkey in the past, usage of structural timber decreased significantly over time and timber has been largely replaced by other materials. As timber is a natural, durable and sustainable material, it would be desirable to re-introduce timber structural elements to contemporary construction in a form that is appealing to industry. Timber-glass composite structural elements are potentially a good candidate for this purpose. To that end, a series of tests were conducted on load-bearing timber-glass composites in order to understand the long-term structural performance of the composite material under atmospheric conditions; to decrease the recurring cost of repair and maintenance; and to minimize the exhaustion of raw materials and energy. In this paper, the first part of this experimental work is presented, which focuses on the durability of timber-glass composite under the effects of accelerated aging, carried out on small-sized timber-glass composite specimens. Accelerated aging effects were observed under wetting-drying, freezing-thawing, UV effects, resistance to acids and high temperature. The mechanical strength of the timber-glass composite specimens before and after the effect of accelerated aging was measured by adhesion and shear strength tests and a comparative analysis of the results was carried out. The results of the experiments indicate that timber-glass composite is suitable to be used under protection from environmental conditions.