It is well-known that fiber reinforced composites made from glass-fibers are susceptible
to both ageing effects and failure under constant loads (creep-rupture), particularly when
exposed to water environments. There are very few experimental studies, however, which have
dealt explicitly with the effect of exposure period (ageing) on the resulting creep-rupture
response. Understanding this effect is particularly important when dealing with applications
which are either delayed in entering full service or are being re-commissioned after some period
of dormancy. In the current study, a preliminary examination is made to determine the influence
of pre-conditioning period on the resulting time-to-failure curves for a glass-fiber reinforced
epoxy system exposed to a water environment. Moisture absorption behavior and resulting
failure characteristics are presented.