• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.459-465
• /
• 2012

This study analyzed the effect of semi-rigid rafter-purlin cross-linking connection and driven steel pipe base on the static behavior of plastic greenhouse (PG). To promote the time and cost efficiency of the assembly process, each cross-linking connections of space arch type grid that consists of rafter and purlin is linked with steel-wire buckles, and each end of the rafters was driven directly to the ground to support the PG structure. However, in the design process, cross-linking connections and bases are idealized by being categorized as fully rigid or frictionless pinned, which does not appropriately reflect actual conditions. This study takes a full-scale loading test of PG and analyzes the effect of member cross-linking connections and driven steel pipe base on the behavior of a structure. The analysis provided a basis for determining the rigidity factor of member cross-linking nodes needed for finite element analysis, and the reliability of the result regarding the static behavior of PG.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.537-547
• /
• 2014

A steel modular unit structural system has been used increasingly for mid and high-rise buildings, since the building can be easily constructed by assembling the pre-made modular unit structures. For this structural system, each modular unit structures have to be properly connected to the foundation to transfer the axial force and the bending moment that are generated from external load to the ground. In this study, a new type of the embedded steel column-to-foundation connection was proposed, and its flexural behavior was evaluated through a series of experimental study. Five full scale specimens for the proposed connections were constructed and tested. The effect of the main parameters that affect the flexural behavior of the proposed connection, such as embedment length and shape of end plate, were studied. From the results, it was found that the flexural stiffness of the proposed connection was higher than that of the semi-rigid connection for all test specimens, and 200 mm of embedment length was proper for the given test specimens in this study.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.311-321
• /
• 2015

In this study, an experimental study to evaluate the seismic performance of beam-to-column connection for medium and low-rise building was conducted. Five connections using SHN490 steel were made with test variables such as flange welded or bolted, web welded or bolted. Specimen SHN-W-W is web welded and flange welded type. Specimen SHN-W-B is web welded and flange bolted type. Specimen SHN-B-W is web bolted and flange welded type. Specimen SHN-B-B is web bolted and flange bolted type. Specimen SHN-EP is a connection with the end plate to the beam ends. Cyclic loadings was applied at the tip of beam following KBC2009 load protocol. The load vs rotation curves for different connection are shown and final failure mode shapes are summarized. The connections are classified in terms of stiffness and strength as semi-rigid or rigid connection. Energy dissipation capacities for seismic performance evaluation were compared.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.183-204
• /
• 2012

Several issues regarding the structural idealization of steel buildings with perimeter moment resisting steel frames (MRSFs) and interior gravity frames (GFs) are studied. Results indicate that the contribution of GFs to the lateral structural resistance may be significant. The contribution increases when the stiffness of the connection of the GFs is considered and is larger for inelastic than for elastic behavior. The interstory shears generally increase when the connections stiffness is taken into account. Resultant stresses at some base columns of MRSFs also increase in some cases but to a lesser degree. For columns of the GFs, however, the increment is significant. Results also indicate that modeling the building as planes frames may result in larger interstory shears and displacements and resultant stresses than those obtained from the more realistic 3-D formulation. These differences may be much larger when semi-rigid (SR) connections are considered. The conservativism is more for resultant stresses. The differences observed in the behaviour of each structural representation are mainly due to a) the elements that contribute to strength and stiffness and b) the dynamics characteristics of each structural representation. It is concluded that, if the structural system under consideration is used, the three-dimensional model should be used in seismic analysis, the GFs should be considered as part of the lateral resistance system, and the stiffness of the connections should be included in the design of the GFs. Otherwise, the capacity of gravity frames may be overestimated while that of MRSFs may be underestimated.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.157-185
• /
• 2014

This paper examines the behaviour of two types of practical open beam-to-tubular column connection details subjected to combined moment, axial and/or shear loads. Detailed continuum finite element models are developed and validated against available experimental results, and extended to deal with flexural, axial and shear load interactions. A numerical investigation is then carried out on the behaviour of selected connections with different stiffness and strength characteristics under various load combination scenarios. The influence of applied levels of axial tensile or compressive loads on the bending stiffness and capacity is examined and discussed. Additionally, the interaction effects between shear forces and co-existing bending and axial loads are examined and shown to be comparatively insignificant in terms of stiffness and capacity in most cases. It is also shown that the range of connections considered in this paper can provide rotational ductility levels in excess of those required under typical design scenarios. Based on these findings, a simplified component-based representation is proposed and described, and its ability to represent the connection response under combined loading is verified using results from detailed numerical simulations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.443-456
• /
• 2017

Many authors have established the usefulness of concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) sections as compression members while few have proved their utility as flexural members. To explore their prospective as part of CFST frame structures, two types of connections using extended end plate and seat angle are proposed for exterior joints of CFST beams and CFST columns. To investigate the performance and failure modes of the proposed bolted connections subjected to static loads, an experimental program has been executed involving ten specimens of exterior beam-to-column joints subjected to monotonically increasing load applied at the tip of beam, the performance is appraised in terms of load deformation behaviour of joints. The test parameters varied are the beam section type, type and diameter of bolts. To validate the experimental behaviour of the proposed connections in CFST beam-column joints, finite element analysis for the applied load has been performed using software ATENA-3D and the results of the proposed models are compared with experimental results. The experimental results obtained agree that the proposed CFST beam-column connections perform in a semi-rigid and partial strength mode as per specification of EC3.

• Computational Structural Engineering
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.139-146
• /
• 1994

In this study, the finite element analysis using joint elements, bolt elements, and shell elements is presented to investigate the behavior of bolted connections. The contact of plates and the high-strength, pretensioned bolts are simply idealized by joint elements and bolt elements, respectively. The initial stiffness is determined through the presented method and the non-linear analysis is archived by a constant-arc-length method based on Newton-Raphson method. The analysis results of a semi-rigid connection(web & flange angles) and a moment connection (shear & moment plates) demonstrate the exactness and applicability of the presented method. And the results indicates that the consideration of slip and 3-dimensional deformation is needed for an accurate prediction of bolted connections.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.675-689
• /
• 2012

Most connections of steel structures exhibit flexible behaviour under cyclic loading. The flexible connections can be assumed as nonlinear rotational springs attached to the ends of each beam. The nonlinear behaviour of the connections can be considered by suitable moment-rotation relationship. Time-history analysis by direct integration method can be used as a powerful technique to determine the nonlinear dynamic response of the structure. In conventional numerical integration, the response is evaluated for a series of short time increments. The limitations on the size of time intervals can be removed by using Chen and Robinson improved time history analysis method, in which the integrated displacements are used as the new variables in integrated equation of motion. The proposed method permits longer time intervals and reduces the computational works. In this paper the nonlinearity behaviour of the structure is summarized on the connections, and the step by step improved time-history analysis is used to calculate the dynamic response of the structure. Several numerical calculations which indicate the applicability and advantages of the proposed methodology are presented. These calculations illustrate the importance of the effect of the nonlinear behaviour of the flexible connections in the calculation of the dynamic response of steel frames.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.791-804
• /
• 2022

As a type of semi-rigid connection, the top and seat angle connections are popular in current structures owing to their good cyclic performance and simple erection. However, their stiffness and load bearing capacity are relatively insufficient. This study proposes two strengthening methods to further increase the stiffness and strength of bolted-angle joints while maintaining satisfactory energy dissipation capacity (EDC) and ductility. Cyclic loading tests were conducted on six joint specimens with different strengthened angle components. Based on the test results, the influence of the following important factors on the cyclic behavior of steel joint specimens was investigated: the position of the rib stiffeners (edge rib stiffeners and middle rib stiffener), steel strength grade of rib stiffeners (Q345 and Q690), and additional stiffeners or not. In addition, the finite element models of these specimens were built and validated through a comparison of experimental and numerical results. The stiffness and bearing capacity of the bolted-angle joints could be improved significantly by utilizing the novel strengthened joints proposed in this study. Moreover, this can be achieved with almost no increase in the amount of steel required, and the EDC of this joint could also satisfy the requirements of seismic codes from various countries.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.605-638
• /
• 2015

It is intended to perform buckling analysis of steel gabled frames with tapered members and flexible connections. The method is based on the exact solutions of the governing differential equations for stability of a gabled frame with I-section elements. Corresponding buckling load and subsequently effective length factor are obtained for practical use. For several popular frames, the influences of the shape factor, taper ratio, span ratio, flexibility of connections and elastic rotational and translational restraints on the critical load, and corresponding equivalent effective length coefficient are studied. Some of the outcomes are compared against available solutions, demonstrating the accuracy, efficiency and capabilities of the presented approach.