The influence of process parameter settings on the pull force required for the pultrusion of two epoxy resin systems reinforced with unidirectional graphite fiber was investigated. Experiments were conducted using the Shell EPON 9310/9360/537 epoxy resin system and the Shell EPON 9420/9470/537 epoxy resin system. Five independent factors—fiber volume, line speed, die zone I temperature, die zone 2 temperature, and die zone 3 temperature—were examined in each study. Regression analysis was used to iden tify the factors and factor interactions that influence the pull force required for the pultru sion of each resin system and to develop mathematical models to describe the pull force. The models indicated that process variable interactions were especially significant. Re sponse surface methods were used to illustrate the nature of the interactions. Additional statistical techniques were employed to investigate the influence of resin viscosity on the pull force and the influence of pull force on the four-point flexural strength of the com posites produced.

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Executive SummaryThe February 2017 "Road Mapping Workshop on Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Composites in Sustainable Infrastructure" brought together designers, engineers, manufacturers, researchers, owners and end-users to identify barriers and potential solutions. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite products produced in the US offer durable, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions in a variety of infrastructure applications as diverse as dams, bridges, highways, railroads, harbors and waterfront structures, utility poles, and buildings. The overall goal of the workshop was to identify the cross-cutting barriers that must be overcome to enable the adoption of world-leading US FRP composite technology, thereby saving construction costs, and creating a durable 21 st century infrastructure that supports economic growth. The workshop was a seminal event; it was the first time that such a complete cross section of interests was assembled to address the specific issue of enabling adoption of FRP composites in infrastructure. The meeting identified three activities (Durability Testing, Design Data Clearinghouse, and Training and Education) that, if enacted, will facilitate wider adoption of FRP composites technology that is potentially more reliable, durable, and costeffective than current solutions. The workshop resulted in a roadmap for addressing barriers to the adoption of FRP composites in infrastructure.Durability Testing: While FRP composites are highly durable and have been used in many applications for over 50 years, other materials, such as steel, wood, and aluminum, have been in widespread use for much longer. The FRP composite products last longer in corrosive environments than these other materials. For example, many of the FRP composite utility poles installed in the 1960s are still in use today, as compared to wood poles that may, in certain harsh environments, require repair or replacement every 25 years to 40 years due to rot, pest damage, and other degradation mechanisms.1 Over the last 50 years there have been many improvements in FRP composite resin, reinforcements, and processing. Consequently, for these new, advanced materials there is limited real-time aging data. Therefore, to reduce excessive design safety factors and maximize weight-savings, accelerated testing is necessary for the adoption of FRP composites used in long-term structural applications.The workshop participants recommended the development of durability standards, as well as predictive models and data to support those standards. Specifically, a five-year program is recommended to establish testbeds, gather data, and develop models that would result in reliable design tools. The resulting tools would then become widely available to the FRP composites industry, end-users, engineers, architects, and designers through an on-line dataportal. The workshop participants emphasized that industry involvement was vitally important to ensure that the durability standards be commercially relevant.Design Data Clearinghouse: Many FR...

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