The mechanical properties of composites are significantly affected by external environment. It is essential to understand the degradation of material performance and judge the material's lifetime in advance. In the current research, changes in mechanical properties of glass fiber and unsaturated polyester composite materials (GFRP, Glass fiber reinforced plastic) were investigated under different bending stress and submerged in hot water at a temperature of 80°C. Loading time of 100 H (hours), 200 H, 400 H, 600 H, 800 H for testing under stresses equal to 0% (stressfree state), 30%, 50% and 70% of the ultimate strength was applied on the GFRP specimens. From the values of bending stress, obtained from three-point bending test, fracture energy, failure time, and life curve were analysed. Moreover, a normalized strength degradation model for this condition was also developed. It was observed that within 100 H, the decline rate of the bending strength was proportional to the pressure.

Keywords: GFRP,Three-point bending testm,Fracture energy,Life curve