Abstract
Glass reinforced polyester with its high strength to weight ratio can offer considerable advantages when used as a structural material in the Civil Engineering industry. One application in which it has shown particular promise is in the form of repeated prefabricated basic structural units that can be assembled together to form a structure. This thesis discusses the use of a manufacturing method that is potentially well suited to the production of units of this kind, namely, the hot press moulding of Sheet Moulding Compound. The production of a prototype model of an equilateral triangular based pyramid unit is described, along with the assembly of several of these units into various structural configurations. Details are presented for the manufacture of a moulding tool by a low cost method, enabling the production of a limited number of these pyramid units. Consideration is given to the unique nature of S.M.C. moulding, including a limited study of the moulding parameters. An approach for the finite element analysis of structures incorporating the S.M.C. pyramid unit is presented, and the results compared to experimental observations on scale models. Generally good agreement between the experimental and analytical results is obtained and, thus proven, the analytical approach is used to perform a parameter study on a full size structure constructed from S.M.C. components. Finally, conclusions are drawn concerning the feasibility of a full size basic structural unit in S.M.C. material.