• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.559-576
• /
• 2014

A new mathematical model and its finite element formulation for the non-linear stress-strain analysis of a planar beam strengthened with plates bolted or adhesively bonded to its lateral sides is presented. The connection between the layers is considered to be flexible in both the longitudinal and the transversal direction. The following assumptions are also adopted in the model: for each layer (i.e., the beam and the side plates) the geometrically linear and materially non-linear Bernoulli's beam theory is assumed, all of the layers are made of different homogeneous non-linear materials, the debonding of the beam from the side-plates due to, for example, a local buckling of the side plate, is prevented. The suitability of the theory is verified by the comparison of the present numerical results with experimental and numerical results from literature. The mechanical response arising from the theoretical model and its numerical formulation has been found realistic and the numerical model has been proven to be reliable and computationally effective. Finally, the present formulation is employed in the analysis of the effects of two different realizations of strengthening of a characteristic simply supported flexural beam (plates on the sides of the beam versus the tension-face plates). The analysis reveals that side plates efficiently enhance the bearing capacity of the flexural beam and can, in some cases, outperform the tensile-face plates in a lower loss of ductility, especially, if the connection between the beam and the side plates is sufficiently stiff.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.647-657
• /
• 2009

This paper studies the behavior of joints in steel-PSC (prestressed concrete) hybrid beams, which is necessary for the application of hybrid beams to spliced girder bridges, and proposes a new type of joint with improved construction convenience and structural behavior. In the proposed joint, perfobond rib shear connectors are attached to the upper and lower plates, which are expanded from the steel girders and located between the steel girder and the PSC girder. The experimental tests were performed on hybrid beams with the suggested joint. The results showed that all the beams had similar ultimate strengths and failure modes, due to the failure of their PSC parts. The composite action of the perfobond ribs was verified by examining the initial stiffness and cracks of the test beams. In addition, the test beams showed a higher degree of ultimate strength than the beams with stud shear connectors in the joints that had been previously studied. Thus, the proposed joint is effective for the steel-PSC hybrid beam.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.449-460
• /
• 2018

This paper reports the experimental results of three through bolt beam-column connections under pure shear forces using modified push-out tests. The investigated specimens include extended end-plates and six through-bolts connecting square concrete-filled steel tubular column (S-CFST) to steel beams. The main goal of this study is to investigate if and how the mechanical shear connectors, such as steel angles and stud bolts, contribute to the shear transfer mechanisms in the steel-concrete interface of the composite column. The contribution of shear studs and steel angles to improve the shear resistance of steel-concrete interface in through-bolt connections was investigated using tests. The results showed that their contribution is not significant when the beam-column connection is included in the push-out tests. The specimens failed by pure shear of the long bolts, and the ultimate load can be predicted using the shear resistance of the bolts under shear forces. The predicted values of load allowed obtaining a good agreement with the tests results.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.561-580
• /
• 2014

After strong earthquakes conventional frames used worldwide in multi - story steel buildings (e.g. moment resisting frames) are not well positioned according to reparability. Two innovative systems for seismic resistant steel frames incorporated with dissipative fuses were developed within the European Research Program "FUSEIS" (Vayas et al. 2013). The first, FUSEIS1, resembles a vertical Vierendeel beam and is composed of two closely spaced strong columns rigidly connected to multiple beams. In the second system, FUSEIS2, a discontinuity is introduced in the composite beams of a moment resisting frame and the dissipative devices are steel plates connecting the two parts. The FUSEIS system is able to dissipate energy by means of inelastic deformations in the fuses and combines ductility and architectural transparency with stiffness. In case of strong earthquakes damage concentrates only in the fuses which behave as self-centering systems able to return the structure to its initial undeformed shape. Repair work after such an event is limited only to replacing the fuses. Experimental and numerical investigations were performed to study the response of the fuses system. Code relevant design rules for the seismic design of frames with dissipative FUSEIS and practical recommendations on the selection of the appropriate fuses as a function of the most important parameters and member verifications have been formulated and are included in a Design Guide. This article presents the design and performance of building frames with FUSEIS 1-1 based on models calibrated on the experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.61 no.4
• /
• pp.475-481
• /
• 2017

An overhead travelling crane structure of two doubly symmetric welded box beams is designed for minimum cost. The rails are placed over the inner webs of box beams. The following design constraints are considered: local buckling of web and flange plates, fatigue of the butt K weld under rail and fatigue of fillet welds joining the transverse diaphragms to the box beams, fatigue of CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic) laminate, deflection constraint. For the formulation of constraints the relatively new standard for cranes EN 13001-3-1 (2010) is used. To fulfill the deflection constraint CFRP strengthening should be used. The application of CFRP materials in strengthening of steel and concrete structures are widely used in civil engineering applications due to their unique advantages. In our study, we wanted to show how the mechanical properties of traditional materials can be improved by the application of composite materials and how advanced materials and new production technologies can be applied. In the optimization the following cost parts are considered: material, assembly and welding of the steel structure, material and fabrication cost of CFRP strengthening. The optimization is performed by systematic search using a MathCAD program.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2007

This paper discusses the failure mode of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with composite materials based on six experimental set-ups to determine the FRP-to-concrete bond strength. Interfacial bond behavior between concrete and CFRP plates was discussed. Shear test were performed with different concrete compressive strengths (21 MPa and 28 MPa) and different bonding length (100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, and 250 mm). Shear test results indicate that the effective bond length (the bond length beyond which the ultimate load does not increase) was estimated as $196{\sim}204\;mm$ through linear regression analysis. Failure mode of specimens occurred due to debonding between concrete and CFRP plates. Maximum bond stress is calculated as about $3.0{\sim}3.3\;MPa$ from the relationships between bond stress and slip. Finally, the interfacial bond-slip model between CFRP plates and concrete, which is governed debonding failure, has been estimated from shear tests. Average bond stress was about $1.86{\sim}2.04\;MPa$, the volume of slip between CFRP plate and concrete was about $1.45{\sim}1.72\;mm$, and the fracture energy was found to be about $1.35{\sim}1.71\;N/mm$.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2010

Most of the bridge systems, including the girders, cross-beams, and concrete decks behave as specially orthotropic plates. In general, the analytical solution for such complex system is very difficult to obtain. In this paper presented, a design method of slab bridge of simple supported made by composite materials. For the design of bridge made by the composite materials, cross-section was used the form-core shape because of this shape is economical and profitable, and for output of the stress value used finite difference method. In this paper, the rate of tensile strength reduction due to increased size was considered. Strength-failure analysis procedure, using the reduced tensile strength, was presented. And also numerical study was made for these cases.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.537-551
• /
• 2016

A new type of composite beam which consists of a wide flange steel shape beam and an innovative type of composite slab was introduced. The composite slab is composed of concrete slab and normal flat steel plates, which are connected by perfobond shear connectors (PBL shear connectors). This paper describes experiments of two large-scale specimens of that composite beam. Both specimens were loaded at two symmetric points for 4-point loading status, and mechanical behaviors under hogging and sagging bending moments were investigated respectively. During the experiments, the crack patterns, failure modes, failure mechanism and ultimate bending capacity of composite beam specimens were investigated, and the strains of concrete and flat steel plate as well as steel shapes were measured and recorded. As shown from the experimental results, composite actions were fully developed between the steel shape and the composite slab, this new type of composite beams was found to have good mechanical performance both under hogging and sagging bending moment with high bending capacity, substantial flexure rigidity and good ductility. It was further shown that the plane-section assumption was verified. Moreover, a design procedure including calculation methods of bending capacity of this new type of composite beam was studied and proposed based on the experimental results, and the calculation methods based on the plane-section assumption and plastic theories were also verified by comparisons of the calculated results and experimental results, which were agreed with each other.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.585-603
• /
• 2013

Generally the required strength and stiffness of an I-shaped beam to the box-shaped column connection is achieved if continuity plates are welded to the column flanges from all sides. However, welding the forth edge of a continuity plate to the column flange may not be easily done and is normally accompanied by remarkable difficulties. This study was aimed to propose an alternative for box columns with continuity plates to diminish such problems. For this purpose a double-web I-shaped column was proposed. In this case the strength and rotational stiffness of the connection was provided by nearing the column webs to each other. Finite element studies on about 120 beam-column connections showed that the optimum proportion of the distance between two column webs and the width of the column flange (parameter ${\beta}$) was a function of the ratio of the beam flange width to the column flange width (parameter ${\alpha}$). Hence, based on the finite element results, an equation was proposed to estimate the optimum value of parameter ${\beta}$ in terms of parameter ${\alpha}$ to achieve the highest connection performance. Results also showed that the strength and ductility of post-Northridge connections of such columns are in average 12.5 % and 54% respectively higher than those of box-shaped columns with ordinary continuity plates. Therefore, a double-web I-shaped column of optimum arrangement might be a proper replacement for a box column with continuity plates when beams are rigidly attached to it.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2006

Strengthening of existing old structures has traditionally been accomplished by using conventional materials and techniques, viz., externally bonded steel plates, steel or concrete jackets, etc. Alternatively, fibre reinforced polymer composite (FRPC) products started being used to overcome problems associated with conventional materials in the mid 1950s because of their favourable engineering properties. Effectiveness of FRPC materials has been demonstrated through extensive experimental research throughout the world in the last two decades. However there is a need to use refined analytical tools to simulate response of strengthened system. In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a numerical model of strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams with FRPC laminates. Material models for RC beams strengthened with FRPC laminates are described and verified through a nonlinear finite element (FE) commercial code, with the help of available experimental data. Three dimensional (3D) FE analysis has been performed by assuming perfect bonding between concrete and FRPC laminate. A parametric study has also been performed to examine effects of various parameters like fibre type, stirrup's spacing, etc. on the strengthening system. Through numerical simulation, it has been shown that it is possible to predict accurately the flexural response of RC beams strengthened with FRPC laminates by selecting an appropriate material constitutive model. Comparisons are made between the available experimental results in literature and FE analysis results obtained by the present investigators using load-deflection and load-strain plots as well as ultimate load of the strengthened beams. Furthermore, evaluation of crack patterns from FE analysis and experimental failure modes are discussed at the end.