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

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.673-685
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• 2007

Reinforced concrete beams can be strengthened in a structural retrofit process by attaching steel plates to their sides by bolting. Whilst bolting produces a confident degree of shear connection under conditions of either static or seismic overload, the plates are susceptible to local buckling. The aim of this paper is to investigate the local buckling of unilaterally-restrained plates with point supports in a generic fashion, but with particular emphasis on the provision of the restraints by bolts, and on the geometric configuration of these bolts on the buckling loads. A numerical procedure, which is based on the Rayleigh-Ritz method in conjunction with the technique of Lagrange multipliers, is developed to study the unilateral local buckling of rectangular plates bolted to the concrete with various arrangements of the pattern of bolting. A sufficient number of separable polynomials are used to define the flexural buckling displacements, while the restraint condition is modelled as a tensionless foundation using a penalty function approach to this form of mathematical contact problem. The additional constraint provided by the bolts is also modelled using Lagrange multipliers, providing an efficacious method of numerical analysis. Local buckling coefficients are determined for a range of bolting configurations, and these are compared with those developed elsewhere with simplifying assumptions. The interaction of the actions in bolted plates during buckling is also considered.