ABSTRACT
In order to investigate the effect of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) and rubber layers on the static and dynamic behaviour of aluminium square hollow section (SHS) member five different specimens have been tested by measuring the static deflection and vibration damping. The FRP layers increase the bending stiffness but have no significant effect on damping. The damping can be increased by a rubber layer at the neutral axis of two combined hollow sections, but this layer decreases the bending stiffness. The static and dynamic bending theory of sandwich beams with thick faces is suitable for the calculation of deflections and loss factors of beams constructed from two SHS profiles, a rubber layer glued between them and FRP layers.
