Investigation of the feasibility of utilizing glass fiber reinforced polymer (gfrp) dowels in the construction of furniture frames subjected to diagonal tension loads

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Science and Wood and Paper Industries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Iran.

10.22059/jfwp.2025.383017.1315

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of using glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) dowels instead of beech wood dowels to enhance the connection strength of furniture frames under diagonal tensile loads. Various dowel diameters (6, 8, and 10 mm), along with other variables such as the number of dowels (one or two), adhesive type (PVAc or epoxy), and the materials of the connecting members (particleboard and MDF), were examined. The results showed that replacing beech wood dowels with composite glass fiber rods increased the bending moment capacity under diagonal tensile load by 50% for particleboard and 71% for MDF. Additionally, the bending moment capacity of the corner connection increased with dowel diameter, rising by 38% and 19% for particleboard and by 19% and 8% for MDF when the diameter increased from 6 to 8 mm and from 8 to 10 mm, respectively. The adhesive type also influenced connection strength, with epoxy increasing the bending moment capacity by 14% for MDF and 47% for particleboard compared to PVAc. Furthermore, increasing the number of dowels from one to two raised the bending moment capacity by 44% for particleboard and 9% for MDF.

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Main Subjects


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