• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

Observations from experiments and real fire indicate that restrained steel beams have better fire-resistant capability than isolated beams. Due to the effects of restraints, a steel beam in fire condition can undergo very large deflections and the run away damage may be avoided. In addition, axial forces will be induced with temperature increasing and play an important role on the behaviour of the restrained beam. The factors influencing the behavior of a restrained beam subjected to fire include the stiffness of axial and rotational restraints, the load type on the beam and the distribution of temperature in the cross-section of the beam, etc. In this paper, a simplified model is proposed to analyze the performance of restrained steel beams in fire condition. Based on an assumption of the deflection curve of the beam, the axial force, together with the strain and stress distributions in the beam, can be determined. By integrating the stress, the combined moment and force in the cross-section of the beam can be obtained. Then, through substituting the moment and axial force into the equilibrium equation, the behavior of the restrained beam in fire condition can be worked out. Furthermore, for the safety evaluation and repair after a fire, the behaviour of restrained beams during cooling should be understood. For a restrained beam experiencing very high temperatures, the strength of the steel will recover when temperature decreases, but the contraction force, which is produced by thermal contraction, will aggravate the tensile stresses in the beam. In this paper, the behaviour of the restrained beam in cooling phase is analyzed, and the effect of the contraction force is discussed.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 1989

The nonlinearity of a cable-stayed bridge results from the large displacement of main girder due to a long span, the catenary action of cables and the flexural stiffness reduced by large axial forces. The dynamic behaviour of a cable-stayed bridge plays an important role in determining its safety. Especially, when the eccentrically moving load is applied to a cable-stayed bridge, the torsional vibration and vertical vibration are coupled and moreover the variation of cable tensions shows important dynamic characteristics. This dissertation presents a theoretical study and a finite element procedure for analysis of a cable-stayed bridge under a eccentrically moving load. Attention is focused on the dynamic behaviours such as dynamic increments of cable tensions and nodal displacements, with the variety of velocities and eccentricities of moving load. It is found that a moving load with eccentricity can have significant effects upon the responses; the torsion of bridge deck and the increments of cable tensions, according to the present results in this study.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.265-283
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• 2021

To ensure that fire induced collapse of a building is prevented it is important to understand the sequence of events that can lead to this event. In this paper, the initiation of collapse mechanisms of generic a multi-storey steel frame subjected to vertical and horizontal travelling fires are analysed computationally by tracking the formation of plastic hinges in the frame and generation of fire induced loads. Both uniform and travelling fires are considered. In total 58 different cases are analysed using finite element software LS-DYNA. For the frame examined with a simple and generic structural arrangement and higher applied fire protection to the columns, the results indicate that collapse mechanisms for singe floor and multiple floor fires can be each split into two main groups. For single floor fires (taking place in the upper floors of the frame (Group S1)), collapse is initiated by the pull-in of external columns when heated beams in end bays go into catenary action. For single floor fires occurring on the lower floors(Group S2), failure is initiated (i.e. ultimate strain of the material is exceeded) after the local beam collapse. Failure in both groups for single floor fires is governed by the generation of high loads due to restrained thermal expansion and the loss of material strength. For multiple floor fires with a low number of fire floors (1 to 3) - Group M1, failure is dominated by the loss of material strength and collapse is mainly initiated by the pull-in of external columns. For the cases with a larger number of fire floors (5 to 10) - Group M2, failure is dominated by thermal expansion and collapse is mainly initiated by swaying of the frame to the side of fire origin. The results show that for the investigated frame initiation of collapse mechanisms are affected by the fire type, the number of fire floors, and the location of the fire floor. The findings of this study could be of use to designers of buildings when developing fire protection strategies for steel framed buildings where the potential for a multifloor fire exists.