• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.281-303
• /
• 2014

In order to suppress the wind-induced vibrations of the Canton Tower, a pair of active mass driver (AMD) systems has been installed on the top of the main structure. The structural principal directions in which the bending modes of the structure are uncoupled are proposed and verified based on the orthogonal projection approach. For the vibration control design in the principal X direction, the simplified model of the structure is developed based on the finite element model and modified according to the field measurements under wind excitations. The AMD system driven by permanent magnet synchronous linear motors are adopted. The dynamical models of the AMD subsystems are determined according to the open-loop test results by using nonlinear least square fitting method. The continuous variable gain feedback (VGF) control strategy is adopted to make the AMD system adaptive to the variation in the intensity of wind excitations. Finally, the field tests of free vibration control are carried out. The field test results of AMD control show that the damping ratio of the first vibration mode increases up to 11 times of the original value without control.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.60 no.6
• /
• pp.1001-1019
• /
• 2016

The connector is the most important part of a composite beam and promotes a composite action between a steel beam and concrete slab. This paper presents the experiment results for three large-scale beams with a newly puzzle shape of crestbond. The behavior of this connector in a composite beam was investigated, and the results were correlated with those obtained from push-out-test specimens. Four-point-bending load testing was carried out on steel-concrete composite beam models to consider the effects of the concrete strength, number of transverse rebars in the crestbond, and width of the concrete slab. Then, the deflection, ultimate load, and strains of the concrete, steel beam, and crestbond; the relative slip between the steel beam and the concrete slab at the end of the beams; and the failure mechanism were observed. The results showed that the general behavior of a steel-concrete composite beam using the newly puzzle shape of crestbond shear connectors was similar to that of a steel-concrete composite beam using conventional shear connectors. These newly puzzle shape of crestbond shear connectors can be used as shear connectors, and should be considered for application in composite bridges, which have a large number of steel beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.473-481
• /
• 2017

Steel plate shear wall (SPSW) system has been increasingly used for lateral loads resisting system since 1980s when the utilization of post-buckling strength of SPSW was realized. The structural response of SPSWs largely depends on the behavior of the surrounded beams. The beams are normally required to behave in the elastic region when the SPSW fully buckled and formed the tension field action. However, most modern design codes do not specify how this requirement can be achieved. This paper presents theoretical investigation and design procedures of manually calculating the plastic flexural capacity of the beams of SPSWs and can be considered as an extension to the previous work by Qu and Bruneau (2011). The reduction in the plastic flexural capacity of beam was considered to account for the presence of shear stress that was altered towards flanges at the boundary region, which can be explained by Saint-Venant's principle. The reduction in beam web was introduced and modified based on the research by Qu and Bruneau (2011), while the shear stress in the web in this research is excluded due to the boundary effect. The plastic flexural capacity of the beams is given by the superposition of the contributions from the flanges and the web. The developed equations are capable of predicting the plastic moment of the beams subjected to combined shear force, axial force, bending moment, and tension fields induced by yielded infill panels. Good agreement was found between the theoretical results and the data from previous research for flexural capacity of beams.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.78 no.1
• /
• pp.87-102
• /
• 2021

Long span cross-rope suspension structure is an innovative structural system evolved from typical Cross-Rope Suspension (CRS) guyed tower, a type of supporting system with short span suspension cable supporting overhead power transmission lines. In mountainous areas, the span length of suspension cable was designed to be extended to hundreds or over one thousand meters, which is applicable for crossing deep valleys. Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) of overhead power transmission lines was considered to be one of the major factors of its fatigue and service life. In this paper, VIV and its controlling by Stockbridge damper for long span CRS was discussed. Firstly, energy balance method and finite element method for assessing VIV of CRS were presented. An approach of establishing FE model of long span CRS structure with dampers was introduced. The effect of Stockbridge damper for overall vibration of CRS was compared in both theoretical and numerical approaches. Results indicated that vibration characteristics of conductor in long span CRS compared with traditional tower-line system. Secondly, analysis on long span CRS including Stockbridge damper showed additional dampers installed were essential for controlling maximum dynamic bending stresses of conductors at both ends. Moreover, factors, including configuration and mass of Stockbridge damper, span length of suspension cable and conductor and number of spans of conductor, were assessed for further discussion on VIV controlling of long span CRS.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.571-582
• /
• 2019

This study aimed to assess the feasibility on the wide and long 9%Ni steel plate for use in the LNG storage inner tank shell. First, 5-m-wide and 15-m-long 9%Ni steel plates were test manufactured from a steel mill and specimens taken from the plates were tested for strength, toughness, and flatness to verify their performance based on international standards and design specifications. Second, plates with a thickness of 10 mm and 25 mm, a width of 4.8~5.0 m, and a length of 15 m were test fabricated by subjecting to pretreatment, beveling, and roll bending resulting in a final width of 4.5~4.8 m and a length of 14.8m with fabrication errors identical to conventional plates. Third, welded specimens obtained via shield metal arc welding used for vertical welding of inner tank shell and submerged arc welding used for horizontal welding were also tested for strength, toughness and ductility. Fourth, verification of shell plate material and fabrication was followed by test erection using two 25-mm-thick, 4.5-m-wide and 14.8-m-long 9%Ni steel plates. No undesirable welding failure or deformation was found. Finally, parametric design using wide and long 9%Ni steel plates was carried out, and a simplified design method to determine the plate thickness along the shell height was proposed. The cost analysis based on the parametric design resulted in about 2% increase of steel weight; however, the construction cost was reduced about 6% due to large reduction in welding work.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.265-277
• /
• 2019

Framed masonry wall structures represent a typical high-rise structural system that are also seismically vulnerable. During ground motions, they are excited in both in-plane and out-of-plane terms. The interaction between the frame and the infill during ground motion is a highly investigated phenomenon in the field of seismic engineering. This paper presents a numerical investigation of two distinct static out-of-plane loading methods for framed masonry wall models. The first and most common method is uniformly loaded infill. The load is generally induced by the airbag. The other method is similar to in-plane push-over method, involves loading of the frame directly, not the infill. Consequently, different openings with the same areas and various placements were examined. The numerical model is based on calibrated in-plane bare frame models and on calibrated wall models subjected to OoP bending. Both methods produced widely divergent results in terms of load bearing capabilities, failure modes, damage states etc. Summarily, uniform load on the panel causes more damage to the infill than to the frame; openings do influence structures behavior; three hinged arching action is developed; and greater resistance and deformations are obtained in comparison to the frame loading method. Loading the frame causes the infill to bear significantly greater damage than the infill; infill and openings only influence the behavior after reaching the peak load; infill does not influence initial stiffness; models with opening fail at same inter-storey drift ratio as the bare frame model.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.463-488
• /
• 2018

In the last decades, research efforts have been spent to investigate the effect of prestressing on the dynamic behaviour of prestressed concrete (PSC) beams. Whereas no agreement has been reached among the achievements obtained by different Researchers and among the theoretical and the experimental results for simply supported beams, very few researches have addressed this problem in continuous PSC beams. This topic is, indeed, worthy of consideration bearing in mind that many relevant bridges and viaducts in the road and railway networks have been designed and constructed with this structural scheme. In this paper the attention is, thus, focused on the dynamic features of continuous PSC bridges taking into account the effect of prestressing. This latter, in fact, contributes to the modification of the distribution of the bending stress along the beam, also by means of the secondary moments, and influences the flexural stiffness of the beam itself. The dynamic properties of a continuous, two spans bridge connected by a nonlinear spring have been extracted by solving an eigenvalue problem in different linearized configurations corresponding to different values of the prestress force. The stiffness of the nonlinear spring has been calculated considering the mechanical behaviour of the PSC beam in the uncracked and in the cracked stage. The application of the proposed methodology to several case studies indicates that the shift from the uncracked to the cracked stage due to an excessive prestress loss is clearly detectable looking at the variation of the dynamic properties of the beam. In service conditions, this shift happens for low values of the prestress losses (up to 20%) for structure with a high value of the ratio between the permanent load and the total load, as happens for instance in long span, continuous box bridges. In such conditions, the detection of the dynamic properties can provide meaningful information regarding the structural state of the PSC beam.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.479-495
• /
• 2019

In tied-arch bridges, the way the arch and the deck are connected may become crucial. The deck is usually suspended from hangers made out of steel pinned cables capable of resisting axial forces only. However, a proper structural response may be ensured by fixing and stiffening the hangers in order to resist, additionally, shear forces and bending moments. Thus, this paper studies the effect of different pinned and stiffened hanger arrangements on the structural behavior of the tied-arch bridges, with the intention of providing designers with useful tools at the early steps of design. Longitudinally and transversally stiffened hangers (and the effect of hinges at the hangers and their locations) are studied separately because the in-plane and the out-of-plane behavior of the bridge are uncoupled due to its symmetry. As a major conclusion, regarding the in-plane behavior, hangers composed of cables (either with vertical, $Nielsen-L\ddot{o}hse$ or network arrangements) are recommended due to its low cost and ease of erection. Alternatively, longitudinally stiffened hangers, fixed at both ends, can be used. Regarding the out-of-plane behavior, and in addition to three-dimensional arrangements of cables, of limited effectiveness, transversally stiffened hangers fixed at both ends are the most efficient arrangement. A configuration almost as efficient and, additionally, cheaper and easier to build can be achieved by locating a hinge at the end corresponding to the most flexible structural element (normally the arch). Its efficiency is further improved if the cross-section tapers from the fixed end to the pinned end.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.109-121
• /
• 2019

This paper presents the second part of the modeling for the strap combined footings, this part shows a mathematical model for design of strap combined footings subject to axial load and moments in two directions to each column considering the soil real pressure acting on the contact surface of the footing for one and/or two property lines of sides opposite restricted, the pressure is presented in terms of an axial load, moment around the axis "X" and moment around the axis "Y" to each column, and the methodology is developed using the principle that the derived of the moment is the shear force. The first part shows the optimal contact surface for the strap combined footings to obtain the most economical dimensioning on the soil (optimal area). The classic model considers an axial load and a moment around the axis "X" (transverse axis) applied to each column, i.e., the resultant force from the applied loads is located on the axis "Y" (longitudinal axis), and its position must match with the geometric center of the footing, and when the axial load and moments in two directions are presented, the maximum pressure and uniform applied throughout the contact surface of the footing is considered the same. A numerical example is presented to obtain the design of strap combined footings subject to an axial load and moments in two directions applied to each column. The mathematical approach suggested in this paper produces results that have a tangible accuracy for all problems and it can also be used for rectangular and T-shaped combined footings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.717-734
• /
• 2018

This paper presents the flexural performance of steel beam-to-column joints composed of hollow structural section beams and columns. A finite element (FE) model was developed incorporating geometrical and material nonlinearities to evaluate the behaviour of joints subjected to bending moments. The numerical outcomes were validated with experimental results and compared with EN1993-1-8. The demountability of the structure was discussed based on the tested specimen. A parametric analysis was carried out to investigate the effects of steel yield strength, end-plate thickness, beam thickness, column wall thickness, bolt diameter, number of bolts and location. Consequently, an analytical model was derived based on the component method to predict the moment-rotation relationships for the sub-assemblies with extended end-plates. The accuracy of the proposed model was calibrated by the experimental and numerical results. It is found that the FE model is fairly reliable to predict the initial stiffness and moment capacity of the joints, while EN1993-1-8 overestimates the initial stiffness extensively. The beam-to-column joints are shown to be demountable and reusable with a moment up to 53% of the ultimate moment capacity. The end-plate thickness and column wall thickness have a significant influence on the joint behaviour, and the layout of double bolt-rows in tension is recommended for joints with extended end-plates. The derived analytical model is capable of predicting the moment-rotation relationship of the structure.