• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.559-572
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• 2001

A numerical model, in the form of a computer program, for evaluating the fire resistance of insulated wide-flange steel columns is presented. The three stages associated with the thermal and structural analysis in the calculation of fire resistance of columns is explained. The use of the computer program for tracing the response of an insulated steel column from the initial pre-loading stage to collapse, due to fire, is demonstrated. The validity of the numerical model used in the program is established by comparing the predictions from the computer program with results from full-scale fire tests. Details of fire tests carried out on wide-flange steel columns protected with ceramic fibre insulation, together with results, are presented. The computer program can be used to evaluate the fire resistance of protected wide-flange steel columns for any value of the significant parameters, such as load, section dimensions, column length, type of insulation, and thickness of insulation without the necessity of testing.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2018

Long-term deformation of a steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) column is different from that of a reinforced concrete (RC) column due to the different moisture distribution. Wide-flange steel in an SRC column obstructs diffusion and makes long-term deformation slower. Previous studies analyzed the characteristics of long-term deformation of SRC columns. In this study, an additional experiment is conducted to more precisely investigate the effect of wide-flange steel on the long-term deformation of SRC columns. Long-term deformation, especially creep of SRC columns with various types of wide-flange steel, is tested. Wide-flange steel for the experiment is made of thin acrylic panels that can block diffusion but does not have strength, because the main purpose of this study is to exclusively demonstrate the long-term deformation of concrete caused by moisture diffusion, not by the reinforcement ratio. Experimental results show that the long-term deformation of a SRC column develops slower than that in a RC column, and it is slower as the wide-flange steel hinders diffusion more. These experimental results can be used for analytical prediction of long-term deformation of various SRC columns. An example of the analytical prediction is provided. According to the experimental and analytical results, it is clear that a new prediction model for long-term deformation of SRC columns should be developed in further studies.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.513-538
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• 2022

This paper reports on experiments addressing the buckling and collapse behavior of an innovative built-up cold-formed steel (CFS) columns. The built-up column consists of four individual CFS lipped channels, two of them placed back-to-back at the web using two self-drilling screw fasteners at specified spacing along the column length, while the other two channels were connected flange-to-flange using one self-drilling screw fastener at specified spacing along the column length. In total, 12 experimental tests are reported, covering a wide range of column lengths from stub to slender columns. The initial geometric imperfections and material properties were determined for all test specimens. The effect of screw spacing, load-versus axial shortening behaviour and buckling modes for different lengths and screw spacing were investigated. Nonlinear finite element (FE) models were also developed, which included material nonlinearities and initial geometric imperfections. The FE models were validated against the experimental results, both in terms of axial capacity and failure modes of built-up CFS columns. Furthermore, using the validated FE models, a parametric study was conducted which comprises 324 models to investigate the effect of screw fastener spacing, thicknesses and wide range of lengths on axial capacity of back-to-back and flange-to-flange built-up CFS channel sections. Using both the experimental and FE results, it is shown that design in accordance with the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and Australia/New Zealand (AS/NZS) standards is slightly conservative by 6% on average, while determining the axial capacity of back-to-back and flange-to-flange built-up CFS channel sections.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.327-340
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• 2022

A vast amount of experimental and analytical research has been conducted related to the seismic behavior and performance of concrete filled steel tubular (CFT) columns. This research has resulted in a wealth of information on the component behavior. However, analytical and experimental data for structural systems with CFT columns is limited, and the well-known behavior of steel or concrete structures is assumed valid for designing these systems. This paper presents the development of an analytical model for nonlinear analysis of composite moment resisting frame (CFT-MRF) systems with CFT columns and steel wide-flange (WF) beams under seismic loading. The model integrates component models for steel WF beams, CFT columns, connections between CFT columns and WF beams, and CFT panel zones. These component models account for nonlinear behavior due to steel yielding and local buckling in the beams and columns, concrete cracking and crushing in the columns, and yielding of panel zones and connections. Component tests were used to validate the component models. The model for a CFT-MRF considers second order geometric effects from the gravity load bearing system using a lean-on column. The experimental results from the testing of a four-story CFT-MRF test structure are used as a benchmark to validate the modeling procedure. An analytical model of the test structure was created using the modeling procedure and imposed-displacement analyses were used to reproduce the tests with the analytical model of the test structure. Good agreement was found at the global and local level. The model reproduced reasonably well the story shear-story drift response as well as the column, beam and connection moment-rotation response, but overpredicted the inelastic deformation of the panel zone.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.271-286
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• 2017

The use of Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) provides an alternative for steel buildings in seismic zones, with the advantage over WF columns that the HSS columns have similar resistance along both axes and enhanced performance under flexure, compression and torsion with respect to other columns sections. The HSS columns have shown satisfactory performance under seismic loads, such as observed in buildings with steel moment frames in the Honshu earthquake (2011). The purpose of this research is to propose a new moment connection, EP-HSS ("End-plate to Hollow Structural Section"), using a wide flange beam and HSS column where the end plate falls outside the range of prequalification established in the ANSI/AISC 358-10 Specification, as an alternative to the traditional configuration of steel moment frames established in current codes. The connection was researched through analytical, numerical (FEM), and experimental studies. The results showed that the EP-HSS allowed the development of inelastic action on the beam only, avoiding stress concentrations in the column and developing significant energy dissipation. The experiments followed the qualification protocols established in the ANSI/AISC 341-10 Specification satisfying the required performance for highly ductile connections in seismic zones, thereby ensuring satisfactory performance under seismic actions without brittle failure mechanisms.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.383-394
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• 2013

Cold-formed profiles have been largely used in the building industry because they can be easily produced and because they allow for a wide range of sections and thus can be utilized to meet different project requirements. Attainment of maximum performance by structural elements with low use of material is a challenge for engineering projects. This paper presents a numerical study aimed at minimizing the weight of lipped and unlipped cold-formed channel columns, following the AISI 2007 specification. Flexural, torsional and torsional-flexural buckling of columns was considered as constraints. The simulated annealing method was used for optimization. Several numerical simulations are presented and discussed to validate the proposal, in addition to an experimental example that qualifies its implementation. The ratios between lips, web width, and flange width are analyzed. Finally, it may be concluded that the optimization process yields excellent results in terms of cross-sectional area reduction.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2009

Local failure of a primary structural component induced by direct air-blast loading may be itself a critical damage and lead to the partial or full collapse of the building. As an extensive research to mitigate blast-induced hazards in steel frame structure, a state-of-art analytical approach or high-fidelity computational nonlinear continuum modeling using computational fluid dynamics was described in this paper. The capability of the approach to produce reasonable blast pressures on a steel wide-flange section column was first evaluated. Parametric studies were conducted to observe the effects of section sizes and boundary conditions on behavior and failure of columns in steel frame structures. This study shows that the analytical approach is reasonable and effective to understand the nature of blast wave and complex interaction between blast loading and steel column behavior.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.201-217
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• 2007

Two combinatorial optimization algorithms, tabu search and simulated annealing, are presented for the minimum-weight design of geometrically non-linear steel plane frames. The design algorithms obtain minimum weight frames by selecting suitable sections from a standard set of steel sections such as American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) wide-flange (W) shapes. Stress constraints of AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) specification, maximum and interstorey drift constraints and size constraints for columns were imposed on frames. The stress constraints of AISC Allowable Stress Design (ASD) were also mounted in the two algorithms. The comparisons between AISC-LRFD and AISC-ASD specifications were also made while tabu search and simulated annealing were used separately. The algorithms were applied to the optimum design of three frame structures. The designs obtained using tabu search were compared to those where simulated annealing was considered. The comparisons showed that the tabu search algorithm yielded better designs with AISC-LRFD code specification.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.677-689
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• 2020

A building structural system of moment resisting frame (MRF) with concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) columns and wide flange H beams, is one of the most conveniently constructed structural systems. However, there were few studies on evaluating seismic performance of full-scale CFST columns under high axial compression. In addition, some existing famous design codes propose various limits of width-to-thickness ratio (B/t) for steel tubes of the ductile CFST composite members. This study was intended to investigate the seismic behavior of CFST columns under high axial load compression. Four full-scale square CFST column specimens with a B/t of 42 were carried out that were subjected to horizontal cyclic-reversal loads combined with constantly light, medium and high axial loads and with a linearly varied axial load, respectively. Test results revealed that shear strength and deformation capacity of the columns significantly decreased when the axial compression exceeded 0.35 times the nominal compression strength of a CFST column, P₀. It was obvious that the higher the axial compression, the lower both the shear strength and deformation capacities were, and the earlier and faster the shear strength degradation occurred. It was found as well that higher axial compressions resulted in larger initial lateral stiffness and faster degradation of post-yield lateral stiffness. Meanwhile, the lower axial compressions led to better energy dissipation capacities with larger cumulative energy. Moreover, the study implied that under axial compressions greater than 0.35P₀, the CFST column specimens with B/t limits recommended by AISC 360 (2016), ACI 318 (2014), AIJ (2008) and EC4 (2004) codes do not provide ultimate interstory drift ratio of more than 3% radian, and only the limit in ACI 318 (2014) code satisfies this requirement when axial compression does not exceed 0.35P₀.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.391-410
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• 2008

In this article, a harmony search algorithm is presented for optimum design of steel frame structures. Harmony search is a meta-heuristic search method which has been developed recently. It is based on the analogy between the performance process of natural music and searching for solutions of optimization problems. The design algorithms obtain minimum weight frames by selecting suitable sections from a standard set of steel sections such as American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) wide-flange (W) shapes. Stress constraints of AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) and AISC Allowable Stress Design (ASD) specifications, maximum (lateral displacement) and interstorey drift constraints, and also size constraint for columns were imposed on frames. The results of harmony search algorithm were compared to those of the other optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithm, optimality criterion and simulated annealing for two planar and two space frame structures taken from the literature. The comparisons showed that the harmony search algorithm yielded lighter designs for the design examples presented.