• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1331-1351
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• 2015

Cold-formed built-up members are compression members that are common in multiple areas of steel construction, which include cold-formed steel joints and stud walls. These members are vulnerable to unique buckling behaviors; however, limited experimental research has been done in this area. Give this gap, experimental testing of 71 built-up members was conducted in this study. The variations of the test specimens include multiple lengths, intermediate welds, orientations, and thicknesses. The experimental testing was devised to observe the different buckling modes of the built-up C-channels and the effects of the geometrical properties; to check for applicability of multiple intermediate welding patterns; and to evaluate both the 2001 and 2007 editions of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specification for built-up members in pure compression. The AISI-2001 and AISI-2007 were found to give inconsistent results that at times were un-conservative or overly conservative in terms of axial strength. It was also found that orientation of the member has an important impact on the maximum failure load on the member.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1305-1330
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• 2015

The successful application of the component-based approach - widely used to model structural joints - requires knowledge of the mechanical properties of the constitutive joint components, including an appropriate assembly procedure to derive the joint properties. This paper presents a component-method model for a structural joint component that is located in the tension zone of blind-bolted connections to concrete-filled tubular steel profiles. The model relates to the response of blind-bolts with headed anchors under monotonic loading, and the blind-bolt is termed the "Extended Hollo-bolt". Experimental data is used to develop the model, with the data being collected in a manner such that constitutive models were characterised for the principal elements which contribute to the global deformability of the connector. The model, based on a system of spring elements, incorporates pre-load and deformation from various parts of the blind-bolt: (i) the internal bolt elongation; (ii) the connector's expanding sleeves element; and (iii) the connector's mechanical anchorage element. The characteristics of these elements are determined on the basis of piecewise functions, accounting for basic geometrical and mechanical properties such as the strength of the concrete applied to the tube, the connection clamping length, and the size and class of the blind-bolt's internal bolt. An assembly process is then detailed to establish the model for the elastic and inelastic behaviour of the component. Comparisons of model predictions with experimental data show that the proposed model can predict with sufficient accuracy the response of the component. The model furthers the development of a full and detailed design method for an original connection technology.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.257-268
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• 2005

In situ rock mass is generally heterogeneous and discontinuous, with varying degrees of strength along the planes of weakness. The planes of weakness such as joints, faults, cracks and bedding planes, control the strength and deformation characteristics of the rock mass. Subsequently, the stability of underground opening depends upon the spatial distribution of discontinuities and their mechanical properties in relation with geometrical shape of openins as well as the mechanical properties of intact rock materials. Understanding the behaviour of a discontinuous rock mass remains a key issue for improving excavation design in hiかy stressed environments. Although recent advances in rock mechanics have provided guidelines for the design of underground opening in isotropic rock mass, prediction and control of deformation in discontinuous rock masses are still unclear. In this study, parametric study was performed to investigate the plastic zone size, stress distribution and deformation behavior around underground opening in a discontinuous rock mass using a continuum joint model. The solutions were obtained by an elasto-plastic finite difference analysis, employing the Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria. Non-associated flow rule and perfectly plastic material behavior are also assumed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.45-55
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• 2015

The stability of the adjcent structures or slopes under blasting is typically evaluated using an empirical vibration attenuation curve or dynamic numerical analysis. To perform a dynamic analysis, it is necessary to determine the blast load and the damping ratio of rock mass. Various empirical methods have been proposed for the blast load. However, a study on representative values of damping ratio of a rock mass has not yet been performed. Therefore, the damping ratio was either ignored or selected without a clear basis in performing a blast analysis. Selection of the dampring ratio for the rock mass is very difficult because the vibration propagation is influenced by the layout and properties of the rock joints. Besides, the vibration induced by blasting is propagated spherically, whereas plane waves are generated by an earthquake. Since the geometrical spreading causes additional attenuation, the damping ratio should be adjusted in the case of a 2D plane strain analysis. In this study, we proposed equivalent damping ratios for use in continuum 2D plane strain analyses. To this end, we performed 2D dynamic analyses for a wide range of rock stiffness and investigated the characteristics of blast vibration propagation. Based on numerical simulations, a correlation between the attenuation equation, shear wave velocity, and equivalent damping ratio of rock mass is presented. This novel approach is the first attempt to select the damping ratio from an attenuation relationship. The proposed chart is easy to be used and can be applied in practice.