• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.419-444
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• 2009

Flange and web local buckling in beam plastic hinge regions of steel moment frames can prevent beam-column connections from achieving adequate plastic rotations under earthquake-induced forces. Reducing the flange-web slenderness ratios (FSR/WSR) of beams is the most effective way in mitigating local member buckling as stipulated in the latest seismic design specifications. However, existing steel moment frame buildings with beams that lack the adequate slenderness ratios set forth for new buildings are vulnerable to local member buckling and thereby system-wise instability prior to reaching the required plastic rotation capacities specified for new buildings. This paper presents results from a research study investigating the cyclic behavior of steel I-beams modified by a welded haunch at the bottom flange and reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymers at the plastic hinge region. Cantilever I-sections with a triangular haunch at the bottom flange and flange slenderness ratios higher then those stipulated in current design specifications were analyzed under reversed cyclic loading. Beam sections with different depth/width and flange/web slenderness ratios (FSR/WSR) were considered. The effect of GFRP thickness, width, and length on stabilizing plastic local buckling was investigated. The FEA results revealed that the contribution of GFRP strips to mitigation of local buckling increases with increasing depth/width ratio and decreasing FSR and WSR. Provided that the interfacial shear strength of the steel/GFRP bond surface is at least 15 MPa, GFRP reinforcement can enable deep beams with FSR of 8-9 and WSR below 55 to maintain plastic rotations in the order of 0.02 radians without experiencing any local buckling.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.277-300
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• 2016

Cold-formed steel (CFS) sections are becoming an increasingly popular solution for constructing floors in residential, healthcare and education buildings. Their reduced weight, however, makes them prone to excessive vibrations, increasing the need for accurate prediction of CFS floor modal properties. By combining experimental modal analysis of a full-scale CFS framed building and its floors and their numerical finite element (FE) modelling this paper demonstrates that the existing methods (based on the best engineering judgement) for predicting CFS floor modal properties are unreliable. They can yield over 40% difference between the predicted and measured natural frequencies for important modes of vibration. This is because the methods were adopted from other floor types (e.g., timber or standard steel-concrete composite floors) and do not take into account specific features of CFS floors. Using the adjusted and then updated FE model, featuring semi-rigid connections led to markedly improved results. The first four measured and calculated CFS floor natural frequencies matched exactly and all relevant modal assurance criterion (MAC) values were above 90%. The introduction of flexible supports and more realistic modelling of the floor boundary conditions, as well as non-structural $fa{\c{c}}ade$ walls, proved to be crucial in the development of the new more successful modelling strategy. The process used to develop 10 identified and experimentally verified FE modelling parameters is based on published information and parameter adjustment resulting from FE model updating. This can be utilised for future design of similar lightweight steel floors in prefabricated buildings when checking their vibration serviceability, likely to be their governing design criterion.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.399-414
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• 1997

This paper presents an investigation into the seismic response characteristics of a proposed ligh-weight pedestrian cable-stayed bridge made entirely from Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics(GFRP). The study employs three dimensional finite element models to study and compare the dynamic characteristics and the seismic response of the GFRP bridge to a conventional Steel-Concrete (SC) cable-stayed bridge alternative. The two bridges were subjected to three synthetic earthquakes that differ in the frequency content characteristics. The performance of the GFRP bridge was compared to that of the SC bridge by normalizing the live load and the seismic internal forces with respect to the dead load internal forces. The normalized seismically induced internal forces were compared to the normalized live load internal forces for each design alternative. The study shows that the design alternatives have different dynamic characteristics. The light GFRP alternative has more flexible deck motion in the lateral direction than the heavier SC alternative. While the SC alternative has more vertical deck modes than the GFRP alternative, it has less lateral deck modes than the GFRP alternative in the studied frequency range. The GFRP towers are more flexible in the lateral direction than the SC towers. The GFRP bridge tower attracted less normalized base shear force than the SC bridge towers. However, earthquakes, with peak acceleration of only 0.1 g, and with a variety of frequency content could induce high enough seismic internal forces at the tower bases of the GFRP cable-stayed bridge to govern the structural design of such bridge. Careful seismic analysis, design, and detailing of the tower connections are required to achieve satisfactory seismic performance of GFRP long span bridges.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1067-1085
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• 2016

Recent research on steel moment-resisting connection between steel beams and concrete filled steel tubes has shown that there are considerable advantages to be obtained by anchoring the connection to the concrete infill within the tube using anchors in blind bolts. In the research reported here, extensive experimental tests and numerical analyses have been performed to study the anchorage behaviour of cogged deformed reinforcing bars within concrete filled circular steel tubes. This data in essential knowledge for the design of the steel connections that use anchored blind bolts, both for strength and stiffness. A series of pull-out tests were conducted using steel tubes with different diameter to thickness ratios under monotonic and cyclic loading. Both hoop strains and longitudinal strains in the tubes were measured together with applied load and slip. Various lead-in lengths before the bend and length of tailed extension after the bend were examined. These dimensions were limited by the dimensions of the steel tube and did not meet the requirements for "standard" cogs as specified in concrete standards such as AS 3600 and ACI 318. Nevertheless, all of the tested specimens failed by bar fracture outside the steel tubes. A comprehensive 3D Finite Element model was developed to simulate the pull-out tests. The FE model took into account material nonlinearities, deformations in reinforcing bars and interactions between different surfaces. The FE results were found to be in good agreement with experimental results. This model was then used to conduct parametric studies to investigate the influence of the confinement provided by the steel tube on the infilled concrete.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.417-436
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• 2014

During an earthquake, steel frame columns can be subjected to high axial forces combined with inelastic rotation demand resulting from story drift. Generally, the whole beam or component can be represented with one element. In elasto-plastic analysis, subdivision is necessary if the plastic deformation occurs within two ends of beams. If effects of the joint panel are necessarily considered in the analysis, the joint panel should be represented with an independent element. It is a special element to represent the shear deformation of the joint panel in the beam-column connection zone. Several analytical models for panel zone (PZ) behavior exist, in terms of shear force-shear distortion relationships. Among these models, the Krawinkler PZ model is the most popular one which is used in the AISC code. Some studies have pointed out that Krawinkler's model gives good results for the range of thin to medium column flanges thickness. This paper, introduces a new model to estimate the response of shear force-shear distortion for the PZ including column axial force. The model is applicable to both thin and thick column flange. To achieve an appropriate PZ mathematical model first, the effects of PZ strength and stiffness on connection response are parametrically studied using finite element models. More than one thousand and four-hundred beam-column connections are included in the parametric study, with varied parameters; then based on analytical results a simple mathematical model is presented. A comparison between the results of proposed method herein with FE analyses shows the average error especially in thick column flange is significantly reduced which demonstrates the accuracy, efficiency, and simplicity of the proposed model.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.329-345
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• 2018

This paper systematically investigated the mechanical performance of the weak-axis cover-plate connection, including a beam end monotonic loading test and a column top cyclic loading test, and a series of parametric studies for exterior and interior joints under cyclic loading using a nonlinear finite element analysis program ABAQUS, focusing on the influences of the shape of top cover-plate, the length and thickness of the cover-plate, the thickness of the skin plate, and the steel material grade. Results showed that the strains at both edges of the beam flange were greater than the middle's, thus it is necessary to take some technical methods to ensure the construction quality of the beam flange groove weld. The plastic rotation of the exterior joint can satisfy the requirement of FEMA-267 (1995) of 0.03 rad, while only one side connection of interior joint satisfied ANSI/AISC 341-10 under the column top cyclic loading. Changing the shape or the thickness or the length of the cover-plate did not significantly affect the mechanical behaviors of frame joints no matter in exterior joints or interior joints. The length and thickness of the cover-plate recommended by FEMA 267 (1995) is also suitable to the weak-axis cover-plate joint. The minimum skin plate thickness and a design procedure for the weak-axis cover-plate connections were proposed finally.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.579-598
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• 2020

Consideration of the panel zone (PZ) deformations in the analysis of steel moment frames (SMFs) has a substantial effect on structural response. One way to include the PZ effect on the structural response is Krawinkler's PZ model, which is one of the best and conventional models. However, modeling of Krawinkler's PZ model has its complexity, and finding an alternative procedure for PZ modeling is of interest. In this study, an efficient model is proposed to simplify Krawinkler's PZ model into an Adjusted Rigid-End Zone (AREZ). In this way, the rigid-end-zone dimensions of the beam and column elements are defined through an appropriate rigid-end-zone factor. The dimensions of this region depend on the PZ stiffness, beam(s) and columns' specifications, and connection joint configuration. Thus, to obtain a relationship for the AREZ model, which yields the dimensions of the rigid-end zone, the story drift of an SMF with Krawinkler's PZ model is equalized with the story drift of the same structure with the AREZ model. Then, the degree of accuracy of the resulting relationship is examined in several connections of generic SMFs. Also, in order to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model in SMFs, several SMFs ranging from 3- to 30-story representing low- to high-rise buildings are examined through linear static and dynamic time history analysis. Furthermore, non-linear dynamic analyses of three SMFs conducted to validate the degree of accuracy of the proposed model in the non-linear analysis of SMFs. Analytical results show that there is considerable conformity between inter-story drift ratio (IDR) results of the SMFs with Krawinkler's PZ model and those of the centerline SMFs with AREZ.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.399-408
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• 2017

Of high strength bolts, the torque shear type bolt is known to be clamped normally when pin-tails are broken. Sometimes the clamping loads on slip critical connections considerably fluctuate from the required tension due to variation of torque coefficient. This is why the viscosity of lubricant affects the torque coefficient by temperature. In this study, the clamping tests of high strength bolts were performed independently at laboratory conditions and at outdoor environment. The temperatures of outdoor environment candidates were ranged from $-11^{\circ}C$ to $34^{\circ}C$ for six years. The temperature at laboratory condition was composed from $-10^{\circ}C$ to $50^{\circ}C$ at each $10^{\circ}C$ interval. At outdoor environment conditions, the clamping load of high strength bolt was varied from 159 to 210 kN and the torque value was varied from 405 to 556 Nm. The torque coefficients at outdoor environment were calculated from 0.126 to 0.158 when tensions were measured from 179 to 192 kN by using tension meter. The torque coefficients at outdoor environment conditions were analyzed as the range from 0.118 to 0.152. From these tests, the diverse equations of torque coefficient, tension dependent to temperature can be acquired by statistic regressive analysis. The variable of torque coefficient at laboratory conditions is 0.13% per each $1^{\circ}C$ when it reaches 2.73% per each $1^{\circ}C$ at outdoor environment conditions. When the results at laboratory conditions and at outdoor environment were combined to get the revised equations, the change in torque coefficient was modified as 0.2% per each $1^{\circ}C$ and the increment of tension was adjusted as 1.89 % per each $1^{\circ}C$.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.727-745
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• 2018

The design criteria and the corresponding performance levels characterize the response of extended stiffened end-plate beam-to-column joints. In order to guarantee a ductile behavior, hierarchy criteria should be adopted to enforce the plastic deformations in the ductile components of the joint. However, the effectiveness of thesecriteria can be impaired if the actual resistance of the end-plate material largely differs from the design value due to the potential activation of brittle failure modes of the bolt rows (e.g., occurrence of failure mode 3 in the place of mode 1 per bolt row). Also the number and the position of bolt rows directly affect the joint response. The presence of a bolt row in the center of the connection does not improve the strength of the joint under both gravity, wind and seismic loading, but it can modify the damage pattern of ductile connections, reducing the gap opening between the end-plate and the column face. On the other hand, the presence of a central bolt row can influence the capacity of the joint to resist the catenary actions developing under a column loss scenario, thus improving the joint robustness. Aiming at investigating the influence of these features on both the cyclic behavior and the response under column loss, a wide range of finite element analyses (FEAs) were performed and the main results are described and discussed in this paper.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.99-112
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• 2019

Semi-rigid joints have been widely studied in literature in recent decades because they affect greatly the structural response of frames. In literature, the behavior of semi-rigid joints is commonly assumed to be identical under positive and negative moments which are obviously incorrect in many cases where joint details such as bolt arrangement or placement of haunch are vertically asymmetrical. This paper evaluates two common types of steel frames with asymmetrical beam-to-column joints by Direct Analysis allowing for plasticity. A refined design method of steel frames using a proposed simple forth order curved-quartic element with an integrated joint model allowing for asymmetrical geometric joint properties is presented. Furthermore, the ultimate behavior of six types of asymmetrical end-plate connections under positive and negative moment is examined by the Finite Element Method (FEM). The FEM results are further applied to the proposed design method with the curved-quartic element for Direct Analysis of two types of steel frames under dominant gravity or wind load. The ultimate frame behavior under the two different scenarios are examined with respect to their failure modes and considerably different structural performances of the frames were observed when compared with the identical frames designed with the traditional method where symmetrical joints characteristics were assumed. The finding of this research contributes to the design of steel frames as their asymmetrical beam-to-column joints lead to different frame behavior when under positive and negative moment and this aspect should be incorporated in the design and analysis of steel frames. This consideration of asymmetrical joint behavior is recommended to be highlighted in future design codes.