• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.443-456
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• 2019

Although numerous researchers demonstrated the significant difference in performance between the various beam-to-column connection types, most of the previous studies in the area of infilled steel frames focused on the behaviour of frames with welded connections. Therefore, there is a need for conducting studies on infilled steel frames with other common connection types (extended endplate with and without rib stiffeners, flush endplate and shear connections). In this paper, firstly, a two-dimensional finite-element model simulating the cyclic response of infilled steel frames was presented. The infill-frame interaction, as well as the interactions between connections' components, were properly modelled. Using the previously-validated model, a parametric study on infilled steel frames with five different beam-to-column connection types, under cyclic loading, was carried out. Several parameters, including infill material, fracture energy of masonry and infill thickness, were investigated. The results showed that the infilled frames with welded connections had the highest initial stiffness and load-carrying capacity. However, the infilled frames with extended endplate connections (without rib stiffeners) showed the greatest energy dissipation capacity and about 96% of the load-carrying capacity of frames with welded connections which indicates that this type of connection could have the best performance among the studied connection types. Finally, a simplified analytical model for estimating the stiffness and strength of infilled steel frames (with different beam-to-column connection types) subjected to lateral cyclic loading, was suggested.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.103-119
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• 2024

In this paper, the non-linear behavior of masonry-infill and bare steel frames using different beam-column connections under monotonic static loading was investigated through a parametric study. Numerical models were carried out using one- and two-dimensional modelling to validate the experimental results. After validating the experimental results by using these models, a parametric study was carried out to model the behavior of these frames using flushed, extended, and welded connections. The results showed that using the welded or extended connection is more efficient than using the flushed type in masonry-infilled steel frames, since the lateral capacities, initial stiffness, and toughness have been increased by 155%, 601%, and 165%, respectively in the case of using welded connections compared with those used in bare frames. The FE investigation was broadened to study the influence of the variation of the uniaxial column loads on the lateral capacities of the bare/infill steel frames. As the results showed when increasing the amount of uniaxial loading on the columns, whether in tension or compression, causes the lateral load capacity of the columns to decrease by 26% for welded infilled steel frames. Finally, the influence of using different types of beam-to-column connections on the vertical capacities of the bare/infill steel frames under settlement effect was also studied. As a result, it was found that, the vertical load capacity of all types of frames and with using any type of connections is severely reduced, and this decrease may reach 62% for welded infilled frames. Furthermore, the flushed masonry-infilled steel frame has a higher resistance to the vertical loads than the flushed bare steel frame by 133%.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.227-241
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• 2020

An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effect of beam to column connection rigidity on the behavior of infilled steel frames. Five half scale, single-story and single-bay specimens, including four infilled frames, as well as, one bare frame, were tested under in-plane lateral cyclic reversal loading. The connections of beam to column for bare frame as well as two infill specimens were rigid, whereas those of others were pinned. For each frame type, two different infill panels were considered: (1) masonry infill, (2) masonry infill strengthened with shotcrete. The experimental results show that the infilled frames with pinned connections have less stiffness, strength and potential of energy dissipation compared to those with rigid connections. Furthermore, the validity of analytical methods proposed in the literature was examined by comparing the experimental data with analytical ones. It is shown that the analytical methods overestimate the stiffness of infilled frame with pinned connections; however, the strength estimation of both infilled frames with rigid and pinned connections is acceptable.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.609-627
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• 2016

Results of an experimental program are presented in this paper for the influence of vertical load on the in-plane behavior of masonry infilled steel frames. Five half-scaled single-story, single-bay steel frame specimens were tested under cyclic lateral loading. The specimens included four infilled frames and one bare frame. Two similar specimens as well as the bare frame had moment-resisting steel frames, while the remaining two specimens had pinned steel frames. For each frame type, one specimen was tested under simultaneous vertical and lateral loading, whereas the other was subjected only to lateral loading. The experimental results show that the vertical load changes the cracking patterns and failure modes of the infill panels. It improves dissipated hysteresis energy and equivalent viscous damping. Global responses of specimens, including stiffness and maximum strength, do no change by vertical loading considerably. Regarding the ductility, the presence of vertical load is ignorable in the specimen with moment-resisting frame. However, it increases the ductility of the infilled pinned frame specimen, leading to an enhancement in the m-factor by at least 2.5 times. In summary, it is concluded that the influence of the vertical load on the lateral response of infilled frames can be conservatively ignored.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.71-85
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• 2006

This paper presents the results of a series of tests carried out on cold-formed steel rectangular hollow and concrete infilled beam to column connections and frames. A stub column was chosen such that overall buckling does not influence the connection behaviour. The beam chosen was a short-span cantilever with a concentrated load applied at the free end. The beam was connected to the columns along the strong and weak axes of columns and these connections were tested to failure. Twelve experiments were conducted on cold-formed steel direct welded tubular beam to column connections and twelve experiments on connections with concrete infilled column subjected to monotonic loading. In all the experiments conducted, the stiffness of the connection, the ductility characteristics and the moment rotation behaviour were studied. The dominant mode of failure in hollow section connections was chord face yielding and not weld failure. Provision of concrete infill increases the stiffness and the ultimate moment carrying capacity substantially, irrespective of the axis of loading of the column. Weld failure and bearing failure due to transverse compression occurred in connections with concrete infilled columns. Six single-bay two storied frames both with and without concrete infill, and columns loaded along the major and minor axes were tested to failure. Concentrated load was applied at the midspan of first floor beam. The change in behaviour of the frame due to provision of infill in the column and in the entire frame was compared with hollow frames. Failure of the weld at the junction of the beam occurred for frames with infilled columns. Design expressions are suggested for the yielding of the column face in hollow sections and bearing failure in infilled columns which closely predicted the experimental failure loads.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.495-506
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• 2005

A neural network based model is developed for the structural analysis of masonry infilled steel frames, which can account for the non-linearities in the material properties and structural behaviour. Using the data available from the analytical methods, an ANN model with input parameters consisting of dimension of frame, size of infill, properties of steel and infill was developed. It was found to be acceptable in predicting the failure modes of infilled frames and corresponding failure load subject to limitations in the training data and the predicted results are tested using the available experimental results. The study shows the importance of validating the ANN models in simulating structural behaviour especially when the data are limited. The ANN model was also compared with the available experimental results and was found to perform well.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.195-204
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• 2017

The effects of plaster on the behavior of single-story single-bay masonry-infilled steel frames under in-plane base accelerations have been experimentally investigated by a shake-table. Tested structures were made in a 1/3 scale, with realistic material properties and construction methods. Steel frames with high and low flexural rigidity of beams and columns were considered. Each type of frame was tested with three variants of masonry: (i) non-plastered masonry; (ii) masonry infill with conventional plaster on both sides; and (iii) masonry infill with a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) net reinforced plaster on both sides. Masonry bricks were made of lightweight cellular concrete. Each frame was firstly successively exposed to horizontal base accelerations of an artificial accelerogram, and afterwards, to horizontal base accelerations of a real earthquake. Characteristic displacements, strains and cracks in the masonry were established for each applied excitation. It has been concluded that plaster strengthens the infill and prevents damages in it, which results in more favorable behavior and increased bearing capacity of plastered masonry-infilled frames compared to non-plastered masonry-infilled frames. The load-bearing contribution of the adopted PVC net in the plaster was not noticeable for the tested specimens, probably due to relative small cross section area of fibers in the net. Behavior of masonry-infilled steel frames significantly depends on frame stiffness. Strong frames have smaller displacements than weak frames, which reduces deformations and damages of an infill.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.1-21
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• 2010

As an alternative for conventional structures for tall buildings, a hybrid lateral load resisting structure has been designed, enabling the assembly of tall buildings directly from a truck. It consists of steel frames with discretely connected precast concrete infill panels provided with window openings. Besides the stiffening and strengthening effect of the infill panels on the frame structure, economical benefits may be derived from saving costs on materials and labour, and from reducing construction time. In order to develop design rules for this type of structure, the hybrid infilled frame has recently been subjected to experimental and numerical analyses. Ten full-scale tests were performed on one-storey, one-bay, 3 by 3 m infilled frame structures, having different window opening geometries. Subsequently, the response of the full-scale experiments was simulated with the finite element program DIANA. The finite element simulations were performed taking into account non-linear material characteristics and geometrical non-linearity. The experiments show that discretely connected precast concrete panels provided with a window opening, can significantly improve the performance of steel frames. A comparison between the full-scale experiments and simulations shows that the finite element models enable simulating the elastic and plastic behaviour of the hybrid infilled frame.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.715-727
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• 2010

An experimental investigation is conducted here to study the effects of applying frictional sliding fuses (FSF) in concrete infilled steel frames. Firstly, the influences of some parameters on the behavior of the sliding fuse are studied: Methods of adjusting the FSF for a certain sliding strength are explained and influences of time duration, welding and corrosion are investigated as well. Based on the results, time duration does not significantly affect the FSF, however influences of welding and corrosion of the constitutive plates are substantial. Then, the results of testing two 1/3 scale single-storey single-bay concrete infilled steel frames having FSF are presented. The specimens were similar, except for different regulations of their fuses, tested by displacement controlled cyclic loading. The results demonstrate that applying FSF improves infill behaviors in both perpendicular directions. The infilled frames with FSF have more appropriate hysteresis cycles, higher ductility, much lower deteriorations in strength and stiffness in comparison with regular ones. Consequently, the infills, provided with FSF, can be regarded as an engineered element, however, special consideration should be taken into the affecting parameters of their fuses.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.1391-1409
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• 2016

Masonry infill has a significant effect on stiffness contribution, strength and ductility of masonry-infilled frames. These effects may cause damage of weak floor, torsional damage or short-column failure in structures. This article presents experiments of 1/2.5-scale steel reinforced recycled aggregates concrete (SRRC) frames. Three specimens, with different infill rates consisted of recycled concrete hollow bricks (RCB), were subjected to static cyclic loads. Test phenomena, hysteretic curves and stiffness degradation of the composite structure were analyzed. Furthermore, effects of axial load ratio, aspect ratio, infill thickness and steel ratio on the share of horizontal force supported by the frame and the infill were obtained in the numerical example.