Presented in this paper are test results of a study pertaining to the reduction in bearing strength due to the effect of hot-wet conditioning on specimens cut from a polyester matrix based pultruded FRP structural shape. A total of 100 coupons (for 20 batches of five) were immersed in distilled water for three and six months at a constant temperature of 40°C. Subsequently, they were load tested using stainless steel ‘pins’ of M10 and M20 sizes with material orientations of 0o, 45o and 90o
to the direction of pultrusion. Furthermore, this test series considered the effect of loading with and without bolt thread in the bearing zone. Testing employed a non-standard set-up that accommodates smaller test coupons, allowing material to be sourced from the web
and flange of a 254×254×9.53 mm wide flange shape. An evaluation of the salient results provides characteristic bearing strength values (in accordance with Annex D of EN1990) and comparisons are drawn between equivalent strengths for non-aged (zero months) material from a previous test series. The degree of strength reduction is found to be influenced by both the ‘pin’ size and type, and observations are drawn towards the safe and reliable design of bolted connections
