Fibre composite windmill structure - challenges in the design and development

Abstract

Fibre composite materials have the advantage of flexibility in design by making use of the materials to suit the required application. Their usage in civil infrastructure is limited to a few applications with some attempts to use them as the main load carrying elements. As part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the University of Southern Queensland, an artistic concept based on the Australian traditional wind mill was materialised in monumental structure using advanced composite materials. The main purpose of this paper is to present concepts of designing fibre composite structures highlighting some of the challenges faced in the design and development. The background of the project and the design considerations are discussed showing the importance of the early coordination between the design and manufacturing. With the main structural system based on sandwich construction, its behavioural issues and failure modes are presented. As there is no design codes or guidelines can be located in the literature, engineering judgement, understanding of the basic modes of failure of the structure and the manufacturing limitations and tolerances are essential in developing the appropriate design. The paper concludes with general discussion of using fibre composites as main structural elements in complex shaped structures.