• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.509-526
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• 2018

The direct strength method adopted by the AISI Standard and AS/NZS 4600 is an advanced design method meant to substitute the effective width method for the design of cold-formed steel structural members accounting for local instability of thin plate elements. It was proven that the design strength formula for the direct strength method could predict the ultimate strength of medium strength steel welded section compressive and flexural members with local buckling reasonably. This paper focuses on the modification of the direct strength formula for the application to high strength and high performance steel welded section columns which have the nominal yield stress higher than 460 MPa and undergo local buckling, overall buckling or their interaction. The resistance of high strength steel welded H and Box section columns calculated by the proposed direct strength formulae were validated by comparison with various compression test results, FE results, and predictions by existing specifications.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.531-555
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• 2006

H-shaped welded steel column members are fabricated by welding together pre-cut flanges and the web. Modern fabricators are increasingly using plasma-cutting technique instead of traditional flame cutting. Different fabrication techniques result in different degrees of geometric imperfections and residual stresses, which can have considerable influence on the strength of steel columns. This paper presents the experimental investigation based temperature profiles, geometric imperfections, and built-in residual stresses in plasma cut-welded H-shaped steel column members and in similar flame cut-welded H-shaped steel columns. Temperature measurements were taken during and immediately after the cutting operations and the welding operations. The geometric imperfections were established at closely spaced grid locations on the original plates, after cutting plates into plate strips, and after welding plate strips into columns. Geometric imperfections associated with plasma cut element and members were found to be less than those of the corresponding elements and members made by flame cutting. The "Method of Section" technique was used to establish the residual stresses in the plate, plate strip, and in the welded columns. Higher residual stress values were observed in flame cut-welded columns. Models for idealized residual stress distributions for plasma cut and flame cut welded sections have been proposed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.231-241
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• 2015

The direct strength method (DSM) has been adopted by the NAS (2004) and AS/NZS 4600 (2005) for the design of cold-formed steel members. The method can be successfully applied to the design of welded steel members. This paper reviews the development of the DSM for welded steel structural members. The design strength formulae for welded section columns and beams for the DSM are based on the test results performed on welded H-section, C-section, circular and rectangular hollow section columns, plate girders and stiffened plates. The comparison between the design strength of welded sections predicted by the DSM and that estimated by existing specifications is also provided. The comparison verifies that the DSM can properly predict the compressive, flexural and shear strength of welded section columns and beams with the interaction between local and overall buckling.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.347-359
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to experimentally scrutinize the axial performance of built-up concrete filled steel tube (CFT) columns composed of steel plates. In this case, the main parameters cross section types, compressive strength of filled concrete, and the effect of welding lines. Welded built-up steel box columns are fabricated by connecting two pieces of cold-formed U-shaped or four pieces of L-shaped thin steel plates with continuous penetration groove welding line located at mid-depth of stub column section. Furthermore, traditional square steel box sections with no welding lines are investigated for the comparison of axial behavior between the generic and build-up cross sections. Accordingly, 20 stub columns with thickness and height of 2 and 300 mm have been manufactured. As a result, welding lines in built-up specimens act as stiffeners because have higher strength and thickness in comparison to the plates. Subsequently, by increasing the welding lines, the load bearing capacity of stub columns has been increased in comparison to the traditional series. Furthermore, for specimens with the same confinement steel tubes and concrete core, increment of B/t ratio has reduced the ductility and axial strength.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.497-516
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• 2014

The ultimate carrying capacity of axially loaded welded square box section members made of medium and high strength steels (nominal yield stresses varying from 345 MPa to 460 MPa), with large width-to-thickness ratios ranging from 35 to 70, is analyzed by finite element method (FEM). At the same time, the numerical results are compared with the predicted results using Direct Strength Method (DSM), modified DSM and Effective Yield Strength Method (EYSM). It shows that curve a, rather than curve b recommended in Code for design of steel structures GB50017-2003, should be used to check the local-overall interaction buckling strength of welded square section columns fabricated from medium and high strength steels when using DSM, modified DSM and EYSM. Despite all this, EYSM is conservative. Compared to EYSM and modified DSM, DSM provides a better prediction of the ultimate capacities of welded square box compression members with large width-thickness ratios over a wide range of width-thickness ratios, slenderness ratios and steel grades. However, for high strength steels (nominal yield strength greater than 460 MPa), the numerical and existent experimental results indicate that DSM overestimates the load-carrying capacities of the columns with width-thickness ratio smaller than 45 and slenderness ratio less than 80. Further, for the purpose of making it suitable for a wider scope, DSM has been modified (called proposed modified DSM). The proposed modified DSM is in excellent agreement with the numerical and existing experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.305-323
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• 2014

This paper presents numerical simulations of partially encased composite columns (PEC) with equivalent steel sections. The composite section of PEC column consists of thin walled welded H- shaped steel section with transverse links provided at regular intervals between the flanges. Concrete is poured in the space between the flanges and the web plate. Most of the structural analysis and design software do not handle such composite members due to highly nonlinear material behavior of concrete as well as due to the complex interfacial behaviour of steel and concrete. In this paper an attempt has been made to replace the steel concrete composite section by an equivalent steel section which can be easily incorporated in the design and analysis software. The methodology used for the formulation of the equivalent steel section is described briefly in the paper. Finite element analysis is conducted using the equivalent steel section of partially encased composite columns tested under concentric gravity loading. The reference test columns are obtained from the literature, encompassing a variety of geometric and material properties. The finite element simulations of the composite columns with equivalent steel sections are found to predict the experimental behaviour of partially encased composite columns with very good accuracy.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-33
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• 2012

For an axially loaded box-shaped member, the width-to-thickness ratio of the plate elements preferably should not be greater than 40 for Q235 steel grades in accordance with the Chinese code GB50017-2003. However, in practical engineering the plate width-to-thickness ratio is up to 120, much more than the limiting value. In this paper, a 3D nonlinear finite element model is developed that accounts for both geometrical imperfections and residual stresses and the ultimate capacity of welded built-up box columns, with larger width-to-thickness ratios of 60, 70, 80, and 100, is simulated. At the same time, the interaction buckling strength of these members is determined using the effective width method recommended in the Chinese code GB50018-2002, Eurocode 3 EN1993-1 and American standard ANSI/AISC 360-10 and the direct strength method developed in recent years. The studies show that the finite element model proposed can simulate the behavior of nonlinear buckling of axially loaded box-shaped members very well. The width-to-thickness ratio of the plate elements in welded box section columns can be enlarged up to 100 for Q235 steel grades. Good agreements are observed between the results obtained from the FEM and direct strength method. The modified direct strength method provides a better estimation of the column strength compared to the direct strength method over the full range of plate width-to-thickness ratio. The Chinese code and Eurocode 3 are overly conservative prediction of column capacity while the American standard provides a better prediction and is slightly conservative for b/t = 60. Therefore, it is suggested that the modified direct strength method should be adopted when revising the Chinese code.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.375-382
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• 2023

The H-shaped steel beam is popular due to its ease of manufacturing and connection to the column. This profile, which is used as a shallow beam, needs the high weak-axis bending stiffness and torsional stiffness to meet the overall stability. Achieving the local beam flange stability, bearing capacity, bending stiffness, and torsional requirements need a great thickness and width of the beam flange, which causes, which will cause more uneconomical structural design. So, the box-section beam is the ideal alternative. However, the current design specifications do not have design rules for the bolt-and-welded connection of the box-section beam and box-section column. The paper proposes a novel bolt-and-welded connection of the box-section beams and box-section columns based on a high-rise structural design scheme. Three connection models, BASE, WBF, and RBS, are analyzed under cyclic loading in ABAQUS software. The failure modes, hysteresis response, bearing capacity, ductility, plastic rotation angle, energy dissipation, and stiffness degradation of all models are determined and compared. Compared with the other two models, the model WBF exhibited excellent seismic performance, ductility, and plastic rotation ability. Finally, model WBF was chosen as the connection scheme used in the project design.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.225-238
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• 2012

Steel structural elements with web-tapered I cross section, are usually made of welded thin plates. Due to the nonrectangular shape of the element, thin web section may be obtained at the maximum cross section height. The buckling strength is directly influenced by lateral restraining, end support and initial imperfections. If no lateral restraints, or when they are not effective enough, the global behaviour of the members is characterized by the lateral torsional mode and interaction with sectional buckling modes may occur. Actual design codes do not provide a practical design approach for this kind of elements. The paper summarizes an experimental study performed by the authors on a relevant number of elements of this type. The purpose of the work was to evaluate the actual behaviour of the web tapered beam-columns when applying different types of lateral restraints and different web thickness.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.269-287
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• 2023

The WGJ420 fire-resistant weathering (FRW) steel is developed and manufactured with standard yield strength of 420 MPa at room temperature, which is expected to significantly enhance the performance of steel structures with excellent fire and corrosion resistances, strong seismic capacity, high strength and ductility, good resilience and robustness. In this paper, the mechanical properties of FRW steel plates and buckling behavior of columns are investigated through tests at elevated temperatures. The stress-strain curves, mechanical properties of FRW steel such as modulus of elasticity, proof strength, tensile strength, as well as corresponding reduction factors are obtained and discussed. The recommended constitutive model based on the Ramberg-Osgood relationship, as well as the relevant formulas for mechanical properties are proposed, which provide fundamental mechanical parameters and references. A total of 12 FRW steel welded I-section columns with different slenderness ratios and buckling load ratios are tested under standard fire to understand the global buckling behavior in-depth. The influences of boundary conditions on the buckling failure modes as well as the critical temperatures are also investigated. In addition, the temperature distributions at different sections/locations of the columns are obtained. It is found that the buckling deformation curve can be divided into four stages: initial expansion stage, stable stage, compression stage and failure stage. The fire test results concluded that the residual buckling capacities of FRW steel columns are substantially higher than the conventional steel columns at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the numerical results show good agreement with the fire test results in terms of the critical temperature and maximum axial elongation. Finally, the critical temperatures between the numerical results and various code/standard curves (GB 51249, Eurocode 3, AS 4100, BS 5950 and AISC) are compared and verified both in the buckling resistance domain and in the temperature domain. It is demonstrated that the FRW steel columns have sufficient safety redundancy for fire resistance when they are designed according to current codes or standards.