This work aims to investigate the performance of pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer (pGFRP) I-section columns subject to short term concentric compression. A review of existing theories is presented, including the instability concepts, global and local buckling theories, perfect columns failure modes and the behavior of real columns. An experimental program including material characterization was conducted. Twenty-nine stubs – with three different I-sections geometries, having distinct flange width-to-section depth ratios (bf/d = 0.5; 0.75 and 1.0), mechanical properties, overall lengths and matrices – were tested. In a global point of view, the columns were fixed at both ends. The constituent plates, on the other hand, were tested with different end-conditions: clamped (CC), simply supported (SS) and simply in contact with base plates of the universal machine (CB). The third analyzed boundary condition, which is the most adopted in previous studies, was concluded to be closer to a clamped end-condition. The non-linear elastic strains distribution throughout the cross-section was also investigated. Finally, guideline recommendations for successful local buckling tests were proposed.