• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.305-325
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• 2020

Beams of steel frame-tube structures (SFTSs) typically have span-to-depth ratios of less than five. This makes a flexural beam unsuitable for such an application because the plastic hinges at the beam-ends cannot be adequately developed. This leads to lower ductility and energy dissipation capacities of SFTSs. To address this, SFTSs with bolted web-connected replaceable shear links (SFTS-BWSLs) are proposed. In this structural system, a web-connected replaceable shear link with a back-to-back double channel section is placed at the mid-length of the deep beam to act as a ductile fuse. This allows energy from earthquakes to be dissipated through link shear deformation. SFTS and SFTS-BWSL buildings were examined in this study. Several sub-structures were selected from each designed building and finite element models were established to study their respective hysteretic performance. The seismic behavior of each designed building was observed through static and dynamic analyses. The results indicate that the SFTS-BWSL and SFTS have similar initial lateral stiffness and shear leg properties. The SFTS-BWSL had lower strength, but higher ductility and energy dissipation capacities. Compared to the SFTS, the SFTS-BWSL had lower interstory drift, base shear force, and story shear force during earthquakes. This design approach could concentrate plasticity on the shear link while maintaining the residual interstory drift at less than 0.5%. The SFTS-BWSL is a reliable resistant system that can be repaired by replacing shear links damaged due to earthquakes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.75-86
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• 2020

The grid structures with welded hollow spherical joint (WHSJ) have gained increasing popularity for use in industrial buildings with suspended cranes, and usually welded with steel tube (ST). The fatigue performance of steel tube-welded hollow spherical joint (ST-WHSJ) is however not yet well characterized, and there is little research on fatigue life prediction methods of ST-WHSJ. In this study, based on previous fatigue tests, three series of specimen fatigue data with different design parameters and stress ratios were compared, and two fatigue failure modes were revealed: failure at the weld toe of the ST and the WHSJ respectively. Then, S-N curves of nominal stress were uniformed. Furthermore, a finite element model (FEM) was validated by static test, and was introduced to assess fatigue behavior with the hot spot stress method (HSSM) and the effective notch stress method (ENSM). Both methods could provide conservative predictions, and these two methods had similar results. However, ENSM, especially when using von Mises stress, had a better fit for the series with a non- positive stress ratio. After including the welding residual stress and mean stress, analyses with the local stress method (LSM) and the critical distance method (CDM, including point method and line method) were carried out. It could be seen that the point method of CDM led to more accurate predictions than LSM, and was recommended for series with positive stress ratios.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제69권6호
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• pp.627-635
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• 2019

In order to study the axial compression performance of sand-lightweight concrete-filled steel tube (SLCFST) stub columns, three circular SLCFST (C-SLCFST) stub column specimens and three SLCFST square (S-SLCFST) stub column specimens were fabricated and static monotonic axial compression performance testing was carried out, using the volume ratio between river sand and ceramic sand in sand-lightweight concrete (SLC) as a varying parameter. The stress process and failure mode of the specimens were observed, stress-strain curves were obtained and analysed for the specimens, and the ultimate bearing capacity of SLCFST stub column specimens was calculated based on unified strength theory, limit equilibrium theory and superposition theory. The results show that the outer steel tubes of SLCFST stub columns buckled outward, core SLC was crushed, and the damage to the upper parts of the S-SLCFST stub columns was more serious than for C-SLCFST stub columns. Three stages can be identified in the stress-strain curves of SLCFST stub columns: an elastic stage, an elastic-plastic stage and a plastic stage. It is suggested that AIJ-1997, CECS 159:2004 or AIJ-1997, based on superposition theory, can be used to design the ultimate bearing capacity under axial compression for C-SLCFST and S-SLCFST stub columns; for varying replacement ratios of natural river sand, the calculated stress-strain curves for SLCFST stub columns under axial compression show good fitting to the test measure curves.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.559-573
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• 2019

Spiral spacing effect on axial compressive behavior of reinforced concrete filled steel tube (RCFST) stub column is experimentally investigated in this paper. A total of twenty specimens including sixteen square RCFST columns and four benchmarked conventional square concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns are fabricated and tested. Test variables include spiral spacing (spiral ratio) and concrete strength. The failure modes, load versus displacement curves, compressive rigidity, axial compressive strength, and ductility of the specimens are obtained and analyzed. Especially, the effect of spiral spacing on axial compressive strength and ductility is investigated and discussed in detail. Test results show that heavily arranged spirals considerably increase the ultimate compressive strength but lightly arranged spirals have no obvious effect on the ultimate strength. In practical design, the effect of spirals on RCFST column strength should be considered only when spirals are heavily arranged. Spiral spacing has a considerable effect on increasing the post-peak ductility of RCFST columns. Decreasing of the spiral spacing considerably increases the post-peak ductility of the RCFSTs. When the concrete strength increases, ultimate strength increases but the ductility decreases, due to the brittleness of the higher strength concrete. Arranging spirals, even with a rather small amount of spirals, is an economical and easy solution for improving the ductility of RCFST columns with high-strength concrete. Ultimate compressive strengths of the columns are calculated according to the codes EC4 (2004), GB 50936 (2014), AIJ (2008), and ACI 318 (2014). The ultimate strength of RCFST stub columns can be most precisely evaluated using standard GB 50936 (2014) considering the effect of spiral confinement on core concrete.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.365-382
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• 2019

In steel frame-tube structures (SFTSs) the application of flexural beam is not suitable for the beam with span-to-depth ratio lower than five because the plastic hinges at beam-ends can not be developed properly. This can lead to lower ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the SFTS. To address this problem, a replaceable shear link, acting as a ductile fuse at the mid length of deep beams, is proposed. SFTS with replaceable shear links (SFTS-RSLs) dissipate seismic energy through shear deformation of the link. In order to evaluate this proposal, buildings were designed to compare the seismic performance of SFTS-RSLs and SFTSs. Several sub-structures were selected from the design buildings and finite element models (FEMs) were established to study their hysteretic behavior. Static pushover and dynamic analyses were undertaken in comparing seismic performance of the FEMs for each building. The results indicated that the SFTS-RSL and SFTS had similar initial lateral stiffness. Compared with SFTS, SFTS-RSL had lower yield strength and maximum strength, but higher ductility and energy dissipation capacity. During earthquakes, SFTS-RSL had lower interstory drift, maximum base shear force and story shear force compared with the SFTS. Placing a shear link at the beam mid-span did not increase shear lag effects for the structure. The SFTS-RSL concentrates plasticity on the shear link. Other structural components remain elastic during seismic loading. It is expected that the SFTS-RSL will be a reliable dual resistant system. It offers the benefit of being able to repair the structure by replacing damaged shear links after earthquakes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.339-347
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• 2000

The creep deformation of pure bending (hold constant moment for a period of time) tests were conducted in this paper. Thin-walled tubes of 304 stainless steel were used in this investigation. The curvature-ovalization measurement apparatus, designed by Pan et al. (1998), was used for conducting the present experiments. It has been found that as soon as the creep deformation is started, the magnitudes of the tube curvature and ovalization of tube cross-section quickly increase. The magnitudes of the creep curvature and ovalization of tube cross-section increase fast with a higher hold moment than that with a lower one. Owing to the continuously increasing curvature during the creep deformation, the tube specimen buckles eventually.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.364-368
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• 2011

The super-speed tube train was introduced to increase the speed of ground transportation. It levitates magnetically and runs in a partial vacuum tube, which significantly reduces air resistance. However, strong magnetic force sufficient to propel the massive train can affect the infrastructure. The induced eddy current produces joule heat, and raises the inside temperature of the girder, which might lead to electrochemical corrosion on the girder, thereby weakening its durability. In this paper, the authors analyzed the magnetic flux and induced eddy current in the reinforced concrete girder by using three-dimensional FEM, particularly by varying the number of reinforcing steels of the upper flange of the girder to the condition of almost the same flexural strength and reinforcing steel amount.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.167-181
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• 2012

Ultra high performance cementitious composite material is applied to the design of multifunctional permanent form for bridge pier in this paper. The basic properties and calculating constitutive model of ultra high performance cementitious composite are introduced briefly. According to momental theory of thin-walled shell, the analytical solutions of structural behavior parameters including circumferential stress, longitudinal stress and shear stress are derived for UHPCC thin-walled circular tube. Based on relevant code of construction loads (MHURD of PPC 2008), the calculating parameter expression of construction loads for UHPCC thin-walled circular tube is presented. With geometrical dimensions of typical pier, the structural behavior parameters of UHPCC tube under construction loads are calculated. The effects of geometrical parameters of UHPCC tube on structural behavior are analyzed and the design advices for UHPCC tube are proposed. This paper shall provide a scientific reference for UHPCC permanent form design and UHPCC hybrid structure application.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.285-295
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• 2018

In this paper, the bearing capacity of a non-eccentric and eccentric tubular, concrete-filled, steel bridge pier was studied through the finite element method. Firstly, to verify the validity of the numerical analysis, the finite element analysis of four steel tube columns with concrete in-fill was carried out under eccentric loading and horizontal cyclic loading. The analytical results were compared with experimental data. Secondly, the effects of the eccentricity of the vertical loading on the seismic performance of these eccentrically loaded steel tubular bridge piers were considered. According to the simulated results, with increasing eccentricity ratio, the bearing capacity on the eccentric side of a steel tubular bridge pier (with concrete in-fill) is greatly reduced, while the capacity on the opposite side is improved. Moreover, an empirical formula was proposed to describe the bearing capacity of such bridge piers under non-eccentric and eccentric load. This will provide theoretical evidence for the seismic design of the eccentrically loaded steel tubular bridge piers with concrete in-fill.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.199-212
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• 2003

An experimental investigation of lightweight aggregate and foamed concrete contribution to the ultimate strength capacity of square and rectangular steel tube sections is presented in this study. Thirty-four simply supported beam specimens, 1000-mm long, filled with lightweight aggregate and foamed concretes were tested in pure flexural bending to calculate the ultimate moment capacity. Normal concrete-filled steel tubular and bare steel sections of identical dimensions were also tested and compared to the filled steel sections. Theoretical values of ultimate moment capacity of the beam specimens were also calculated in this study for comparison purposes. The test results showed that lightweight aggregate and foamed concrete significantly enhance the load carrying capacity of steel tubular sections. Furthermore, it can be concluded from this study that lightweight aggregate and foamed concretes can be used in composite construction to increase the flexural capacity of the steel tubular sections.