• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.351-368
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• 2014

This study presents a hunting search based optimum design algorithm for engineering optimization problems. Hunting search algorithm is an optimum design method inspired by group hunting of animals such as wolves, lions, and dolphins. Each of these hunters employs hunting in a different way. However, they are common in that all of them search for a prey in a group. Hunters encircle the prey and the ring of siege is tightened gradually until it is caught. Hunting search algorithm is employed for the automation of optimum design process, during which the design variables are selected for the minimum objective function value controlled by the design restrictions. Three different examples, namely welded beam, cellular beam and moment resisting steel frame are selected as numerical design problems and solved for the optimum solution. Each example differs in the following ways: Unlike welded beam design problem having continuous design variables, steel frame and cellular beam design problems include discrete design variables. Moreover, while the cellular beam is designed under the provisions of BS 5960, LRFD-AISC (Load and Resistant Factor Design-American Institute of Steel Construction) is considered for the formulation of moment resisting steel frame. Levy Flights is adapted to the simple hunting search algorithm for better search. For comparison, same design examples are also solved by using some other well-known search methods in the literature. Results reveal that hunting search shows good performance in finding optimum solutions for each design problem.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1045-1067
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• 2016

Concrete bridges with corrugated steel webs and prestressed by both internal and external tendons have emerged as one of the promising bridge forms. In view of the different behaviour of components and the large shear deformation of webs with negligible flexural stiffness, the assumption that plane sections remain plane may no longer be valid, and therefore the classical Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam models may not be applicable. In the design of this type of bridges, both the ultimate load and ductility should be examined, which requires the estimation of full-range behaviour. An analytical sandwich beam model and its corresponding beam finite element model for geometric and material nonlinear analysis are developed for this type of bridges considering the diaphragm effects. Different rotations are assigned to the flanges and corrugated steel webs to describe the displacements. The model accounts for the interaction between the axial and flexural deformations of the beam, and uses the actual stress-strain curves of materials considering their stress path-dependence. With a nonlinear kinematical theory, complete description of the nonlinear interaction between the external tendons and the beam is obtained. The numerical model proposed is verified by experiments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.655-661
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• 2007

A new steel connection method using wedges known as Self-Locking Connector has been developed. In this study, experimental investigation was conducted to verify the seismic performance of steel beam-to-column joints with Self-Locking Connectors. Cyclic-loading tests were performed on two beam-to-column joints with Self-Locking Connectors. The two beam-to-column joint specimens were of the cantilever-type and had the same details. Test results showed that beam-to-column joints with Self-Locking Connectors were able to developa total rotation capacity of 0.06 radian, which is greater than the 0.04 radian required for Special Moment Frames. Moreover, their energy absorption capacity was much greater than that of conventional joints.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 2006

Beams with web openings are an attractive system for multi-storey buildings where it is always desirable to have long spans. The openings in the web of steel beams enable building services to be integrated within the constructional depth of a floor, thus reducing the total floor depth. At the same time, the increased beam depth can give high bending moment capacity, thus allowing long spans. However, almost all of the research studies on web openings have been concentrated on beam behaviour at ambient temperature. In this paper, a preliminary numerical analysis using ABAQUS is conducted to develop a general understanding of the effect of the presence of web opening on the behaviour of steel beams at elevated temperatures. It is concluded that the presence of web openings will have substantial influence on the failure temperatures of axially unrestrained beams and the opening size at the critical position in the beam is the most important factor. For axially restrained beams, the effect of web openings on the beam's large deflection behaviour and catenary force is smaller and it is the maximum opening size that will affect the beam's response at very high temperatures. However, it is possible that catenary action develops in beams with web openings at temperatures much lower than the failure temperatures of the same beam without axial restraint that are often used as the basis of current design.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.933-950
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• 2016

Decks, interior beams, edge beams and girders are the parts of a steel floor system. If the deck is optimized without considering beam optimization, finding best result is simple. However, a deck with higher cost may increase the composite action of the beams and decrease the beam cost reducing the total cost. Also different number of floor divisions can improve the total floor cost. Increasing beam capacity by using castellated beams is other efficient method to save the costs. In this study, floor optimization is performed and these three issues are discussed. Floor division number and deck sections are some of the variables. Also for each beam, profile section of the beam, beam cutting depth, cutting angle, spacing between holes and number of filled holes at the ends of castellated beams are other variables. Constraints include the application of stress, stability, deflection and vibration limitations according to the load and resistance factor (LRFD) design. Objective function is the total cost of the floor consisting of the steel profile cost, cutting and welding cost, concrete cost, steel deck cost, shear stud cost and construction costs. Optimization is performed by enhanced colliding body optimization (ECBO), Results show that using castellated beams, selecting a deck with higher price and considering different number of floor divisions can decrease the total cost of the floor.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.127-139
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• 2019

Bridges, offshore oil platforms and other infrastructures usually require at some point in their service life rehabilitation for reasons such as aging and corrosion. This study explores the application of adhesively bonded CFRP patches in repair of corroded circular hollow sectional (CHS) steel beams. An experimental program involving three-point bending tests was conducted on intact, corroded, and repaired CHS beams. Meso-scale finite element (FE) models of the tested beams were developed and validated by the experimental results. A parametric study using the validated FE models was performed to examine the effects of different CFRP patch parameters, including patch dimensions, number of plies and stacking sequence, on efficiency of the repair system. Results indicates that the corrosion reduced elastic stiffness and flexural strength of the undamaged beam by 8.9 and 15.1%, respectively, and composite repair recovered 10.7 and 18.9% of those, respectively, compared to undamaged beam. These findings demonstrated the ability of CFRP patch repair to restore full bending capacity of the corroded CHS steel beam. The parametric study revealed that strength and stiffness of the repaired CHS beam can be enhanced by changing the fiber orientations of wet composite patch without increasing the quantity of repair materials.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.201-213
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• 2021

Currently, there is a lack of research in the design approach to avoid column wall failure in the concrete filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) column-beam connections. In this paper, a finite element model has been developed and verified by available experimental data to analyze the failure mechanism of CFDST column-beam connections. Various finite element models with different column hollow ratios (χ) were established. The simulation result revealed that with increasing χ the failure mode gradually changed from yielding of end plate, to local failure of the column wall. Detailed parametric analyses were performed to study the failure mechanism of column wall for the CFDST column-beam connection, in which the strength of sandwiched concrete and steel tube and thickness of steel tube were incorporated. An analytical model was proposed to predict the moment resistance of the assembled connection considering the failure of column wall. The simulation results indicate that the proposed analytical model can provided a conservative prediction of the moment resistance. Finally, an upper bound value of χ was recommend to avoid column wall failure for CFDST column-beam connections.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.537-551
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• 2016

A new type of composite beam which consists of a wide flange steel shape beam and an innovative type of composite slab was introduced. The composite slab is composed of concrete slab and normal flat steel plates, which are connected by perfobond shear connectors (PBL shear connectors). This paper describes experiments of two large-scale specimens of that composite beam. Both specimens were loaded at two symmetric points for 4-point loading status, and mechanical behaviors under hogging and sagging bending moments were investigated respectively. During the experiments, the crack patterns, failure modes, failure mechanism and ultimate bending capacity of composite beam specimens were investigated, and the strains of concrete and flat steel plate as well as steel shapes were measured and recorded. As shown from the experimental results, composite actions were fully developed between the steel shape and the composite slab, this new type of composite beams was found to have good mechanical performance both under hogging and sagging bending moment with high bending capacity, substantial flexure rigidity and good ductility. It was further shown that the plane-section assumption was verified. Moreover, a design procedure including calculation methods of bending capacity of this new type of composite beam was studied and proposed based on the experimental results, and the calculation methods based on the plane-section assumption and plastic theories were also verified by comparisons of the calculated results and experimental results, which were agreed with each other.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.261-270
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• 2006

In this paper, the basic data regarding the application of the MSC (Modular Steel Concrete) beam are presented by comparing the experimental value with the theoretical value, focusing on the bending behavior of the Lip-type MSC beam, which is composed of steel and concrete. Considerable manpower is needed to fabricate the traditional MSC beam, particularly for the tasks of cutting, welding, etc. Because much time is needed to fabricate the traditional SC beam, the prefabrication concept is introduced, easily produce the required size of the SC beam by prefabricating the side module and the lower module, which is made up of a steel sheet. The result indicates that the method of uniting the modules, an d the composition method with concrete, should be improved. The proposed MSC beam can be used as a new structural member by increasing its coherent reinforcement with modules and the composition ratio of steel and concrete through a future study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.21 no.3 s.75
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• pp.8-15
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• 2006

It is no wonder that mechanical structures are accompanied by problems related to corrosion after being exposed to long hours of work. Corrosion of mechanical structures has been the most serious problem in the field of industry. The present study employed a laser beam irradiation test to improve the corrosion resistance of degraded Cr-Mo steel, which was used for more than 60,000 hours. To find the optimum irradiation test condition for the corrosion resistance of degraded Cr-Mo steel, hardness and residual stress measurements, micro-structural observation, and the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) tests were performed with changes in laser beam test conditions including laser beam output, diameter, and velocity. Thus, the present study indicates that the optimum test condition and absorption energy for a laser beam test need to be determined to enhance corrosion resistance of degraded Cr-Mo steel.