Graduation Semester and Year
Spring 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering
Department
Civil Engineering
First Advisor
Vistasp M. Karbhari
Second Advisor
Madan Lal Mehta
Third Advisor
Himan Hojat Jalali
Fourth Advisor
Juan Antonio Balderrama
Abstract
Ambient-cured wet layup carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are used extensively in civil infrastructure applications where exposure to elevated temperature is unavoidable. This exposure may induce internal degradation before any surface-visible signs, affecting the long-term durability of the composite materials. Unlike autoclave-cured aerospace composites, ambient-cured systems often result in incomplete polymerization, and their response to thermal exposure over their service life is governed by the competition between continued post-curing and progressive thermo-oxidative degradation. This dissertation investigates this response in a unidirectional T700/Epon 828 system after exposure to temperatures from 66 to 260 °C for durations up to 72 hours. The primary objective is to establish a comprehensive understanding of the matrix-dominated mechanical characteristics and glass transition temperature changes in these composites under prior thermal exposure, and to evaluate the implications for their use. This work integrates five studies in defining a three-regime framework (post-cure, transitional, degradation) governing the thermal response of ambient-cured wet-layup CFRP and demonstrates the limitations of the use of fiber-dominated, single-frequency characterization in current design practice. The findings offer insight into mechanical and viscoelastic behavior, providing a basis for the development of more accurate durability assessment frameworks for these composites in civil and marine infrastructure applications.
Keywords
wet-layup, CFRP, matrix-degradation, DMTA, time-temperature-frequency
Disciplines
Civil Engineering
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Acharya, Rabina, "Matrix-Controlled Degradation Mechanisms and Durability Assessment of Wet Layup Composites Subjected to Periods of Elevated Temperature Exposure" (2026). Civil Engineering Dissertations. 6.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/civilengineering_dissertations2/6