• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2019

This paper aims to study the mechanical performance of three-tower four-span suspension bridges with steel truss girders, including the static and dynamic characteristics of the bridge system, and more importantly, the influence of structural parameters including the side-main span ratio, sag-to-span ratio and the girder stiffness on key mechanical indices. For this purpose, the Oujiang River North Estuary Bridge which is a three-tower four-span suspension bridge with two main spans of 800m under construction in China is taken as an example in this study. This will be the first three-tower suspension bridge with steel truss girders in the world. The mechanical performance study and parametric analysis are conducted based on a validated three-dimensional spatial truss finite element model established for the Oujiang River North Estuary Bridge using MIDAS Civil. It is found that a relatively small side-main span ratio seems to be quite appropriate from the perspective of mechanical performance. And decreasing the sag-to-span ratio is an effective way to reduce the horizontal force subjected to the midtower and improve the antiskid safety of the main cable, while the vertical stiffness of the bridge will be reduced. However, the girder stiffness is shown to be of minimal significance on the mechanical performance. The findings from this paper can be used for design of three-tower suspension bridges with steel truss girders.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.717-729
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• 2019

A horizontal cyclic test was carried out to study the seismic performance of lightweight aggregate concrete filled steel tube (LACFST). The constitutive and hysteretic model of core lightweight aggregate concrete (LAC) was proposed for finite element simulation. The stress and strain changes of the steel tube and concrete filled inside were measured in the experiment, and the failure mode, hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, and strain curve of the test specimens were obtained. The influence of axial compression ratio, diameter-thickness ratio and material strength were analysed based on finite element model. The results show that the hysteresis curve of LACFST indicated favourable ductility, energy dissipation, and seismic performance. The LACFST failed when the concrete in the bottom first crushed and the steel tube then bulged, thus axial force imposed by prestressing was proved to be feasible. The proposed constitutive model and hysteretic model of LAC under the constraint of its steel tube was reliable. The bearing capacity and ductility of the specimen increase significantly with increasing thickness of the steel tube. The bearing capacity of the member improves while the ductility and energy dissipation performance slightly decreased with the increasing strength of the steel and concrete.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.437-452
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• 2019

In this study, in-situ static and dynamic tests of four pre-stressed concrete (PC) track beams with different span lengths and curvatures in a straddle monorail transit system were reported. In the static load tests, the strain and deflection at critical sections of the PC track beams were measured to determine the load bearing capacity and stiffness. The dynamic responses of strain, deflection, acceleration, and displacement at key positions of the PC track beams were measured under different train speeds and train loads to systematically study the dynamic behaviors of the PC track beams. A three-dimensional finite element model of the track beam-vehicle coupled vibration system was established to help understand the dynamic behavior of the system, and the model was verified using the test results. The research results show that the curvature, span length, train speed, and train loads have significant influence on the dynamic responses of the PC track beams. The dynamic performance of the PC track beams in the curve section is susceptible to dynamic loads. Appropriate train loads can effectively reduce the impact of the train on the PC track beam. The PC track beams allow good riding comfort.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.291-301
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• 2019

Pure torsion loading conditions were not frequently occurred in practical engineering, but the torsional researches were important since it's the basis of mechanical property researches under complex loading. Then a 3D finite element model with precise material constitutive models was established, and the effectiveness was verified with test data. Parametric studies with varying factors as steel yield strength, concrete strength and sectional height-width ratio, were performed. Internal stress state and the interaction effect between encased steel tube and the core concrete were analyzed. Results indicated that due to the confinement effect between steel tube and core concrete, the torsional strength of CFT columns was greatly improved comparing to plain concrete columns. The steel ratio would greatly influence the torque share between the steel tube and the core concrete. Then the torsional strength calculation formulas for core concrete and the whole CFT column were proposed. The proposed formula could be simpler and easier to use with guaranteed accuracy. Related design codes were more conservative than the proposed formula, but the proposed formula presented more satisfactory agreement with experimental results.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3-10
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• 2018

Cladding that finishes the exterior of a building could enhance the value of the building, and shape control is an important factor. With the recent development of 3D printing, cementitious claddings were printed by 3D printer in China, U.S.A and elsewhere. On the other hand, the structural safety of the exterior panel should be examined, as casualties occur when the exterior panel fails due to typhoon or impact. Cement-based cladding is reinforced by wire mesh to improve safety. Introducing 3D printing composite system with polymer and cement, makes it possible to produce claddings fast and accurate. Prior to the development of 3D printing cementitious cladding, the major parameters influencing the optimal shape were identified based on structural performance. The wind load, joint, and bond behavior between polymer and cement were considered. Polymer laminate shape, order, and thickness were variables, and finite element analysis was performed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.633-647
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• 2020

This paper aims to study the seismic performance of external diaphragm connection between SST (square steel tube) column and H-shaped beam through experimental and analytical study involving finite element (FE) method and theoretical analysis. In the experimental study, three external diaphragm connection specimens with weak panel zone were tested under axial pressure on the top of the column and antisymmetric cyclic loads at the beam end to investigate the seismic performance of the panel zone. The hysteretic behavior, failure mode, stiffness and ductility of the specimens were discussed. Key point to be explored was the influence of the thickness of the steel tube flange on the shear capacity of the specimens. In the analytical study, three simplified FE models were developed to simulate the seismic behavior of the specimens for further analysis on the influence of steel tube flange. Finally, four existing calculation formulas for the shear capacity of the external diaphragm connection were evaluated through comparisons with the results of experiments and FE analysis, and application suggestions were put forward.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.657-670
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• 2021

This paper presents a designing method for enhancing fire resistance of steel box bridge girders (closed steel box bridge girder supporting a thin concrete slab) through taking into account such parameters namely; fire severity, type of longitudinal stiffeners (I, L, and T shaped), and number of longitudinal stiffeners. A validated 3-D finite element model, developed through the computer program ANSYS, is utilized to go over the fire response of a typical steel box bridge girder using the transient thermo-structural analysis method. Results from the numerical analysis show that fire severity and type of longitudinal stiffeners welded on bottom flange have significant influence on fire resistance of steel box bridge girders. T shaped longitudinal stiffeners applied on bottom flange can highly prevent collapse of steel box bridge girders towards the end of fire exposure. Increase of longitudinal stiffeners on bottom flange and web can slightly enhance fire resistance of steel box bridge girders. Rate of deflection-based criterion can be reliable to evaluate fire resistance of steel box bridge girders in most fire exposure cases. Thus, T shaped longitudinal stiffeners on bottom flange incorporated into bridge fire-resistance design can significantly enhance fire resistance of steel box bridge girders.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2021

Composite nature of the masonry structures in general causes complex and non-linear behaviour, especially in intense vibration conditions. The presence of different types and forms of structural elements and different materials is a major problem for the analysis of these type of structures. For this reason, the analysis of the behaviour of masonry structures requires a combination of experimental tests and non-linear mathematical modelling. The famous UNESCO Heritage Old Bridge in Mostar was selected as an example for the analysis of the global behaviour of reinforced stone arch masonry bridges. As part of the experimental research, a model of the Old Bridge was constructed in a scale of 1:9 and tested on a shaking table platform for different levels of seismic excitation. Non-linear mathematical modelling was performed using a combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM), including the effect of connection elements. The paper presents the horizontal displacement of the top of the arch and the failure mechanism of the Old Bridge model for the experimental and the numerical phase, as well as the comparison of the results. This research provided a clearer insight into the global behaviour of stone arch masonry structures reinforced with steel clamps and steel dowels, which is significant for the structures classified as world cultural heritage.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 2022

The analysis of the progressive collapse resistance of structures is a well-known issue among structural engineers. Large-span reticulated dome structures are commonly utilized in large public buildings, necessitating research into their progressive collapse resistance to assure user safety. The most significant part of improving the structural resilience of reticulated domes is to evaluate their key elements. Based on a stiffness-based evaluation approach, this work offers a calculating procedure for element importance coefficient. For both original and damaged structures, evaluations are carried out using the global stiffness matrix and the determinant. The Kiewitt, Schwedler, and Sunflower reticulated domes are investigated to explore the distribution characteristic of element importance coefficients in the single-layer dome structures. Moreover, the influences of the load levels, load distributions, geometric parameters and topological features are also discussed. The results can be regarded as the initial concept design reference for single-layer reticulated domes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.565-579
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• 2022

This study investigated the yielding capacity and performance of seismic dampers constructed with steel ring plates using numerical and analytical approaches. This study aims to provide an analytical relationship for estimating the yielding capacity and initial stiffness of steel ring dampers. Using plastic analysis and considering the mechanism of plastic hinge formation, a relation has been obtained for estimating the yielding capacity of steel ring dampers. Extensive parametric studies have been carried out using a nonlinear finite element method to examine the accuracy of the obtained analytical relationships. The parametric studies include investigating the influence of the length, thickness, and diameter of the ring of steel ring dampers. To this end, comprehensive verification studies are performed by comparing the numerical predictions with several reported experimental results to demonstrate the numerical method's reliability and accuracy. Comparison is made between the hysteresis curves, and failure modes predicted numerically or obtained/observed experimentally. Good agreement is observed between the numerical simulations and the analytical predictions for the yielding force and initial stiffness. The difference between the numerical models' ultimate tensile and compressive capacities was observed that average of about 22%, which stems from the performance of the ring-dampers in the tensile and compression zones. The results show that the steel ring-dampers are exhibited high energy dissipation capacity and ductility. The ductility parameters for steel ring-damper between values were 7.5 to 4.1.