• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.547-564
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• 2023

This study investigates the effect of bolt preloading on the rotational stiffness of stainless steel end-plate connections. An experimental programme incorporating 11 full-scale joint specimens are carried out comparing the behaviours of fully pre-tensioned (PT) and snug-tightened (ST) flush/extended end-plate connections, made of austenitic or lean duplex stainless steels. It is observed from the tests that the presence of bolt preloading leads to a significant increase in the rotational stiffness. A parallel finite element analysis (FEA) validated against the test results demonstrates that the geometric imperfection of end-plate has a strong influence on the moment-rotation response of preloaded end-plate connections, which is crucial to explain the observed "two-stage" behaviour of these connections. Based on the data obtained from the tests and FE parametric study, the performance of the Eurocode 3 predictive model is evaluated, which exhibits a significant deviation in predicting the rotational stiffness of stainless steel end-plate connections. A modified bi-linear model, which incorporates three key properties, is therefore proposed to enable a better prediction. Finally, the effect of bolt preloading is demonstrated at the system (structure) level considering the serviceability of semi-continuous stainless steel beams with end-plate connections.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.303-315
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• 2004

Frame composed of concrete-filled steel tubular columns and I-shaped steel beam has been researched in order to development reasonable connection details. The present paper describes the results of an experimental program in four different connection details. The connection details considered include through-bolt between I-shaped steel beams and concrete-filled steel tubular columns and two details of welded connections. One of the welded connection details is stiffened by angles welded in the interior of the profile wall at the beam flange level. The specimens were tested in a cruciform loading arrangement with variable monotonic loading on the beams and constant compressive load on the column. For through-bolt details, the contribution of friction and bearing were investigated by embedding some of the bolts in the concrete. The results of the tests show that through-bolt connection details are very ductility and the bearing is not important to the behavior of these moment connections. The angles welded in the interior of the profile wall increase the strength and stiffness of the welded connection detail. In addition, the behavior curves of these connections are compared and some interesting conclusions are drawn. The results are summarized for the strength and stiffness of each connection.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2023

The maximum drifts are important to the seismic evaluation of steel buildings and connections, but the information can hardly be obtained from the post-earthquake field investigation. This research studies the feasibility of using the loss rate of bolt pretension as an earthquake damage predictor. Full-scale tests were made on four steel connections using bolted-web-welded-flange details. One connection was unreinforced (UN), another was reinforced with double shear plates (DS), and the other two used reduced beam sections (RBS). The preinstalled strain gauges were used to control the pretensions and monitor the losses of the high-strength bolts. The results showed that the loss rate of bolt pretension was highly related to the damage of the connections. The pretensions lost up to 10% in all the connections at the yield drifts of 0.5% to 1%. After yielding of the connections, the pretensions lost significantly until fracture occurred. The UN and DS connections failed with a maximum drift of 4 %, and the two RBS connections showed better ductility and failed with a maximum drift of 6%. Under the far-field-type loading protocol, the loss rate grew to 60%. On the contrary, the rate for the specimen under near-fault-type loading protocol was about 40%. The loss rate of bolt pretension is therefore recommended to use as an earthquake damage predictor. Additionally, the 10% and 40% loss rates are recommended to predict the limit states of connection yielding and maximum strength, respectively, and to define the performance levels of serviceability and life-safety for the buildings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.647-659
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• 2018

Through extensive research, there exist a new type of connection between railway bridge girders and steel-concrete composite panels. In addition to conventional shear connectors, newly developed blind bolts have been recently adopted for retrofitting. However, the body of knowledge on their influence and application to railway structures has not been thoroughly investigated. This study has thus placed a particular emphasis on the application of blind bolts on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a feasible alternative constituent of railway track upgrading. Finite element modeling has been used to simulate the behaviours of the precast steel-concrete panels with common types of bolt connection using commercially available package, ABAQUS. The steel-concrete composite track slabs have been designed in accordance with Australian Standards AS5100. These precast steel-concrete panels are then numerically retrofitted by three types of most practical bold connections: head studded shear connector, Ajax blind bolt and Lindapter hollow bolt. The influences of bolt connections on load and stress transfers and structural behaviour of the composite track slabs are highlighted in this paper. The numerical results exhibit that all three bolts can distribute stresses effectively and can be installed on the bridge girder. However, it is also found that Lindapter hollow bolts are superior in minimising structural responses of the composite track slabs to train loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.611-637
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• 2014

A single plate shear connection, or shear tab, is a very popular shear connection due to its merit in ease of construction and material economy. However, problems in understanding the connection behavior, both in terms of strength and ductility, have been well-documented. Suggestions or design model for single plate connections in AISC Design Manual have been altered several times, with the latest edition settling down to giving designers pre-calculated design strength tables if the connection details agree with given configurations. Results from many full-scale tests and finite element models in the past suggest that shear strength of a bolt group in single plate shear connections might be affected by yield strength of plate material; therefore, this research was aimed to investigate and clarify effects of plate yield strength and thickness on shear strength of the bolt group in the connections, including the validity of using a plate thickness/bolt diameter ratio ($t_p/d_b$) in design, by using finite element models. More than 20 models have been created by using ABAQUS program with 19.0- and 22.2-mm A325N bolts and A36 and Gr.50 plates with various thicknesses. Results demonstrated that increase of plate thickness or plate yield strength, with the $t_p/d_b$ ratio remained intact, could significantly reduce shear strength of the bolt group in the connection as much as 15 percent. Results also confirmed that the $t_p/d_b$ ratio is a valid indicator to be used for guaranteeing strength sufficiency. Because the actual ratio recommended by AISC Design Manual is $t_p/d_b$ + 1.6 (mm) for connections with a number of bolts less than six and plate yield strength in construction is normally higher than the nominal value used in design, it is proposed that shear strength of a bolt group in single plate connections with a number of bolts equal or greater than seven be reduced by 15 percent and the $t_p/d_b$ ratio be limited to 0.500.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.149-168
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• 2015

In the bolted connections, bolt placements are generally described and are generally made in the direction of design effects and in the perpendicular direction to design effects. In these both directions, the reliability of the distance of bolts to the edges of connection plate and the distance of bolts to each other is investigated for high strength steel connections built up with high strength bolts in this study. For this purpose, simple SL (bearing type shear connection) and SLP (bearing type shear connection for body-fit bolts) type steel connections with St 52 grade steel plates with 8 different thicknesses and with 8.8D grade high strength bolts (HV) were constituted and analyzed under H (Dead Loads+Live Loads+Snow Loads+Roof Loads) and HZ (H Loads+Wind Loads+Earthquake Loads) loadings. Geometric properties, material properties and design actions were taken as random variables. Monte Carlo Simulation method was used to compute failure risk and the first order second moment method was used to determine the reliability indexes of those different distances describing the placement of bolts. Results obtained from computations have been presented in graphics and in a Table. Then, they were compared with some values proposed by some structural codes. Finally, new equations were constituted for minimum and maximum values of distances describing bolt placement by regression analyses performed on those results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.643-658
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• 2017

High strength preloadable bolt assemblies are commonly adopted in beam-to-column bolted connections. Nowadays, two systems of high strength preloadable grade 10.9 bolt assembly are recommended in Europe for structural applications, namely HR and HV, which are characterized by different failure modes. Recently, experimental tests performed on HR and HV bolt assemblies highlighted that the type of bolt assembly may significantly influence the joint response. Therefore, the accuracy of numerical modelling of bolt assemblies is crucial to simulate effectively the non-linear behaviour of bolted joints with either failure mode 2 or mode 3 of the bolt rows. In light of these considerations, this present paper describes and discusses some modelling criteria for both HR and HV bolts to be implemented in 3D finite element models by finite element analysis and structural designers. The comparison between the calibrated models and experimental results shows the accuracy of the proposed assumptions in simulating all stages of assembly tensile response.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.277-296
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• 2002

A research investigation of single bolt lap-plate connection load-deformation behavior is presented. Each important characteristic of this behavior is evaluated and two methods for analytically approximating the behavior are developed and presented. The first of these methods is a component method in which the behavior of the connection is modeled as a combination of the behavior of the parts. The second method utilizes a number of parametric relationships that relate the connection parameters to coefficients of two non-linear continuous analytical curves. The test results from four independent experimental programs that investigated the behavior of single bolt lap-plate connections are used in the development and verification of these methods.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.323-352
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• 2016

The results of a series of finite element (FE) simulations and experimental studies are used to develop strength and stiffness models that predict the failure capacity and response characteristics of unstiffened extended endplate connections with circular and rectangular bolt configurations associated with deep girders. The proposed stiffness models are composed of multi-linear springs which model the overall extended endplate/column flange system deformation and strength of key-components. Comparison of model predictions with FE and experimental results available in the literature show that the proposed models accurately predict the strength and the response of extended endplate/column system with circular and rectangular bolt configurations. The effect of the bolt configuration (circular and rectangular) on the prying phenomenon encountered in the unstiffened extended endplate/column system was investigated. Based on FE results, extended endplate with circular bolt configuration has a more ductile behavior and exhibits higher total prying forces. The proposed models can be used to design connections that cover all possible failure modes for extended endplate with circular bolt configuration. This study provides guidelines for engineers to account for the additional forces induced in the tension bolts and for the maximum rotational capacity demand in the connection which are required for seismic analysis and design.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.315-329
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• 2020

Through bolt connections in Concrete Filled Steel Tubes (CFSTs) has been proved to be good in terms of seismic performance and constructability. Stiffened extended end plate connection with full through type bolt helps to avoid field weld altogether, and hence to improve the quality of joints. An experimental study was conducted on the hysteretic performance of square interior beam-column connections using flat extended end plates with through bolt. The study focuses on the effect of the bond between the tie rod and the core concrete on the cyclic performance of the joint. The study also quantifies how much the interior joint is getting strengthened due to the confinement effect induced by bi-directional bolting, which is widely used in 3D moment resisting frames. For a better understanding of the mechanism and for the prediction of shear capacity of the panel zone, a mathematical model was generated. The various parameters included in the model are the influence of axial load, amount of prestress induced by bolt tightening, anchorage, and the concrete strut action. The study investigates the strength, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation characteristics. The results indicate that the seismic resistance is at par with American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) seismic recommendations. The bidirectional bolting and bond effect have got remarkable influence on the performance of joints.