• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.5
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• pp.551-563
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• 2022

Bolted connector could be an alternative to replace the conventional welded headed stud in steel-ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) lightweight composite structures. In this paper, a novel demountable bolted shear connector, consisting of a high-strength bolt (HSB) and a specially-designed nut which is pre-embedded in a thin UHPC slab, is proposed, which may result in the quick installation and disassembly, due to the mountable, demountable and reusable features. In order to study the shear behavior of the new type of bolted shear connector, static push-out tests were conducted on five groups of the novel demountable bolted shear connector specimens and one group of conventional welded headed stud specimen for comparison. The effect of the bolt shank diameter and aspect ratio of bolt on failure mode, shear stiffness, peak slip at the steel-UHPC interface, shear strength and ductility of novel bolted connectors is investigated. Additionally, design formula for the shear strength is proposed to check the suitability for assessment of the novel demountable bolted shear connectors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.419-429
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• 2022

In response to the sustainability requirements set in the EU Commission's "Green Deal" towards reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions, it is estimated that the structural design for deconstruction is going to contribute considerably to the sustainable development of the built environment. The demountability of multi-material structural systems basically depends on the shear connectors used in the structural system. This paper focuses on a type of demountable injected shear connector with an injected steel-reinforced resin (iSRR) which consists of spherical steel particles embedded in a resin. Its application to steel-to-concrete and steel-to-Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) decks is presented along with its benefits. In parallel, an overview of the experimental and numerical research on the evaluation of the mechanical properties of the demountable bolted connectors with iSRR is discussed. Last, detailed finite element (FE) models and a parametric study are performed to quantify the confinement level of the SRR material influenced by the oversized hole diameter.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.753-775
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• 2016

This paper aims to investigate the demountability of steel column-baseplate connections subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading. This paper presents the finite element analysis of steel column-baseplate connections under monotonic and cyclic loading. The finite element model takes into account the effects of material and geometric nonlinearities. Bauschinger and pinching effects were also included in the developed model, through which degradation of steel yield strength in cyclic loading can be well simulated. The results obtained from the finite element model are compared with the existing experimental results. It is demonstrated that the finite element model accurately predicts the initial stiffness, ultimate bending moment strength of steel column-baseplate connections. The finite element model is utilised to examine the effects of axial load, baseplate thickness, anchor bolt diameter and position on the behaviour of steel column-baseplate connections. The effects of various parameters on the demountability of steel column-baseplate connections are investigated. To achieve a demountable and reusable structure, various design parameters need to be considered. Initial stiffness and moment capacity of steel columnbaseplate connections are compared with design strengths from Eurocode 3. The comparison between finite element analysis and Eurocode 3 indicates that predictions of initial stiffness for semi-rigid connections should be developed and improved design of the connections needs to be used in engineering practice.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.717-734
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• 2018

This paper presents the flexural performance of steel beam-to-column joints composed of hollow structural section beams and columns. A finite element (FE) model was developed incorporating geometrical and material nonlinearities to evaluate the behaviour of joints subjected to bending moments. The numerical outcomes were validated with experimental results and compared with EN1993-1-8. The demountability of the structure was discussed based on the tested specimen. A parametric analysis was carried out to investigate the effects of steel yield strength, end-plate thickness, beam thickness, column wall thickness, bolt diameter, number of bolts and location. Consequently, an analytical model was derived based on the component method to predict the moment-rotation relationships for the sub-assemblies with extended end-plates. The accuracy of the proposed model was calibrated by the experimental and numerical results. It is found that the FE model is fairly reliable to predict the initial stiffness and moment capacity of the joints, while EN1993-1-8 overestimates the initial stiffness extensively. The beam-to-column joints are shown to be demountable and reusable with a moment up to 53% of the ultimate moment capacity. The end-plate thickness and column wall thickness have a significant influence on the joint behaviour, and the layout of double bolt-rows in tension is recommended for joints with extended end-plates. The derived analytical model is capable of predicting the moment-rotation relationship of the structure.