Load-carrying capacity of a composite architectural cornice with built-in water drainage

The object of research is a load-bearing capacity of an architectural cornice made of glass-fiber-reinforced composite (GFRC) with an integrated drainage gutter, supported by steel cantilevers. The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the structural performance of the composite cornice under static loading. Method. The testing methodology was based on axial compression of the multilayer composite material. Due to the large dimensions of the full-scale specimen and test rig, the experiment was conducted indoors but outside of a laboratory setting to better simulate real-world structural interaction conditions. During the test, both load and mid-span deflection were monitored. No failure or significant deformation of the cornice or its fixings was observed. Results. Deflection values under the design service load were determined, and a load-deflection curve was obtained. The experimental findings confirm the feasibility of employing this composite cornice system in construction practice. In addition, potential directions for further research into GFRC architectural cornices with integrated drainage channels were identified.