• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.16 no.5 s.72
• /
• pp.575-586
• /
• 2004

This paper presents an experimental study on the flexural capacity of an encased(slim-floor) composite beam, which is a wider plate under bottom flange of H-beam with web openings. Five simple full-scale bending tests were conducted on the encased(slim-floor) composite beams at varying steel beam heights (250mm and 300mm), positions of web openings, and loading conditions. The test results revealed that the web-open encased composite beam had sufficient composite action, without any additional shear connection devices, because of the inherent shear-bond effects between the steel beam and the concrete, and a stable structural performance without web-opening reinforcements.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.5 no.2_3
• /
• pp.193-202
• /
• 2005

This paper describes recent developments in composite construction and their effect on codified design procedures in the UK. Areas of particular interest include: rules on shear connection, design of beams with web openings, serviceability limits, such as floor vibrations, and fire safe design. The design of cellular beams with regular circular openings now includes generalized rules for web-post buckling, and for the development of in-plane moment in the web-post for asymmetric sections. Closed solutions for the maximum shear force due to limits on web-post bending or buckling are presented. The fire resistance of cellular beams is also dependent on the temperature of the web-post, and for closely spaced openings. It is necessary to increase the thickness of fire protection to the web. For serviceability design of beams, deflection limits and natural frequency and response factor for vibration are presented. It may be necessary to use stricter limits for certain applications.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.769-788
• /
• 2022

In this paper a mathematical model for the prediction of the fire resistance of slim-floor steel beams based on an Artificial Neural Network modeling procedure is presented. The artificial neural network models are trained and tested using an analytical database compiled for this purpose from analytical results based on FEM. The proposed model was selected as the optimum from a plethora of alternatives, employing different activation functions in the context of Artificial Neural Network technique. The performance of the developed model was compared against analytical results, employing several performance indices. It was found that the proposed model achieves remarkably improved predictions of the fire resistance of slim-floor steel beams. Moreover, based on the optimum developed AN model a closed-form equation for the estimation of fire resistance is derived, which can prove a useful tool for researchers and engineers, while at the same time can effectively support the teaching of this subject at an academic level.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.217-228
• /
• 2017

Full-scale flexural testing of asymmetric H-shape hybrid composite beams was conducted in this study. In fabricating hybrid H-shape sections, high strength steels were utilized for the bottom flange while ordinary strength steels were used for the top flange and web. With adding a fully composite floor slab, a total of 8 hybrid composite beam specimens were tested. The primary objective was to develop the asymmetric hybrid H-shape composite beams with maximized flexural efficiency and investigate their flexural behavior. Not all the hybrid composite specimens tested in this study exhibited the plastic moment and reasonable deformability. In the specimens with high-strength bottom flange, the longitudinal shear crack of the slab along the beam axis often preceded the development of beam plastic moment, although the slab was designed as fully composite. The mechanical reason for this unexpected behavior is discussed. It is emphasized that the longitudinal shear strength of composite slab should be checked in designing hybrid composite beams utilizing high strength steels like in this study.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.809-819
• /
• 2022

This paper proposes a method to predict the deflection of prestressed concrete (PC) beams with corrugated steel web (CSW) under constant load concerning time-dependent variation in concrete material. Over time, the top and bottom concrete slabs subjected to asymmetric compression experience shrinkage and creep deformations. Here, the classical Euler-Bernoulli beam theory assumption that the plane sections remain plane is not valid due to shear deformation of CSW. Therefore, this study presents a method based on the first-order shear deformation to find the long-term deflection of the composite beams under bending by considering time effects. Two experimental prestressed beams of this type were monitored under their self-weight over time, and the theoretical results were compared with those data. Additionally, 3D analytical models of the experimental beams were used according to material properties, and the results were compared with two previous cases. There was good consistency between the analytical and numerical results with low error, which increased by wave radius. It is concluded that the proposed method could reliably be used for design purposes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.171-185
• /
• 2012

The calculation of fire resistance for a composite structural element comprises the calculation of the temperature within its cross-section and of the load bearing capacity, considering the evolution of the steel and concrete mechanical properties, function of the temperature. The paper proposes a method to calculate the bending capacity under ISO fire, for Slim Floor systems using asymmetric steel beams, with a wider lower flange or a narrow upper flange welded onto a half hot-rolled profile. The temperatures in the cross-section are evaluated by means of empirical formulas determined through a parametrical analysis, performed with the special purpose non-linear finite element program SAFIR. Considering these formulas, the bending capacity may be calculated, using an analytical approach to determine the plastic bending moment, for different fire resistance demands. The results obtained with this simplified method are validated through numerical analysis.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.583-601
• /
• 2015

In the present study, the combined effects of thermal and mechanical loadings on the interlaminar shear stresses of both moderately thin and thick composite laminated beams are numerically analyzed. The finite element modelling of laminated composite beams and analysis of interlaminar stresses are performed using the commercially available software package MSC NASTRAN/PATRAN. The validity of the finite element analysis (FEA) is demonstrated by comparing the experimental test results obtained due to mechanical loadings under the influence of thermal environment with those derived using the present FEA. Various parametric studies are also performed to investigate the effect of thermal loading on interlaminar stresses generated in symmetric, anti-symmetric, asymmetric, unidirectional, cross-ply, and balanced composite laminated beams of different stacking sequences with identical mechanical loadings and various boundary conditions. It is shown that the elevated thermal environment lead to higher interlaminar shear stresses varying with the stacking sequence, length to thickness ratio, ply orientations under identical mechanical loading and boundary conditions of the composite laminated beams. It is realized that the magnitude of the interlaminar stresses along xz plane is always much higher than those of along yz plane irrespective of the ply-orientation, length to thickness ratios and boundary conditions of the composite laminated beams. It is also observed that the effect of thermal environment on the interlaminar shear stresses in carbon-epoxy fiber reinforced composite laminated beams are increasing in the order of symmetric cross-ply laminate, unidirectional laminate, asymmetric cross-ply laminate and anti-symmetric laminate. The interlaminar shear stresses are higher in thinner composite laminated beams compared to that in thicker composite laminated beams under all environmental temperatures irrespective of the laminate stacking sequence, ply-orientation and boundary conditions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.153-168
• /
• 2003

This paper discusses the results and observations from a large-scale fire test conducted on a slim floor system, comprising asymmetric beams, rectangular hollow section beams and a composite floor slab. The structure was subjected to a fire where the fire load (combustible material) was higher that that found in typical office buildings and the ventilation area was artificially controlled during the test. Although the fire behaviour was not realistic it was designed to follow as closely as possible the time-temperature response used in standard fire tests, which are used to assess individual structural members and forms the bases of current fire design methods. The presented test results are limited, due to the malfunction of the instrumentation measuring the atmosphere and member temperatures. The lack of test data hinders the presentation of definitive conclusions. However, the available data, together with observations from the test, provides for the first time a useful insight into the behaviour of the slim floor system in its entirety. Analysis of the test results show that the behaviour of the beam-to-column connections had a significant impact on the overall structural response of the system, particularly when the end-plate of one of the connections fractured, during the fire.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.469-484
• /
• 2001

A new beam system comprising two cantilever stems and an interspan composite beam has been developed and its design philosophy is described in this paper. The system provides the equivalent of a semi-continuous beam without the requirement to calculate the moment rotation capacity of the beam-to-column connection. The economy of braced frames using the system has been investigated and compared with simple, continuous or semi-rigid systems. It is shown that the costs of the proposed system are similar to the semi-rigid system and cheaper than both the simply supported and rigid beam systems. Two tests have been carried out on 6 meter span beams, which also incorporated an asymmetric flange steel section. The behaviour of the system is presented and the test results are compared with those obtained from the theory.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.253-267
• /
• 2023

The bearing capacities resisted by the two-bay beams of multi-story planar frames with unequal spans under column removal scenarios differ considerably owing to the asymmetric stress on the left and right beams connected to the failed column and cause the potential for beams with larger span-to-depth ratios to be unable to exert effectively, which is disadvantageous for resisting the vertical load in unequal-span frame structures. To address this problem, the structural measure of adding braces to the weak bays of multi-story unequal-span frames was proposed, with the objective of achieving a coordinated stress state in two-bay beams with unequal spans, thereby improving the collapse resistance of unequal-span frame structures. Before conducting the numerical simulation, the modeling methods were verified by previous experimental results of two multi-story planar frames with and without steel braces. Thereafter, the effects of the tensile and compressive braces on the collapse behavior of the frame structures were elucidated. Then, based on the mechanical action laws of the braces throughout the collapse process, a detailed design method for improving the collapse resistance of unequal-span frame structures was proposed. Finally, the proposed design method was verified by using sufficient example models, and the results demonstrated that the design method has good application prospects and high practical value.