• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.205-227
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• 2013

Current design standards do not provide adequate guidelines for the fire design of cold-formed steel compression members subject to flexural-torsional buckling. Eurocode 3 Part 1.2 (2005) recommends the same fire design guidelines for both hot-rolled and cold-formed steel compression members subject to flexural-torsional buckling although considerable behavioural differences exist between cold-formed and hot-rolled steel members. Past research has recommended the use of ambient temperature cold-formed steel design rules for the fire design of cold-formed steel compression members provided appropriately reduced mechanical properties are used at elevated temperatures. To assess the accuracy of flexural-torsional buckling design rules in both ambient temperature cold-formed steel design and fire design standards, an experimental study of slender cold-formed steel compression members was undertaken at both ambient and elevated temperatures. This paper presents the details of this experimental study, its results, and their comparison with the predictions from the current design rules. It was found that the current ambient temperature design rules are conservative while the fire design rules are overly conservative. Suitable recommendations have been made in relation to the currently available design rules for flexural-torsional buckling including methods of improvement. Most importantly, this paper has addressed the lack of experimental results for slender cold-formed steel columns at elevated temperatures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.513-533
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• 2022

This study presents similarities and differences between Turkish Building Code for Steel Structures, which are TS 648 and SDCCSS (Specification for Design, Calculation and Construction of Steel Structures) in terms of the design of the members. Hot-rolled I-shaped steel sections for symmetrical and U-shaped steel sections (i.e., channels) for monosymmetric sections were elaborated in detail. The design strength of tension members under tensile load, compression members under axial load and flexural members under flexure and shear were examined separately. Connection details for tension members, slenderness for compression members and distance between lateral supports for flexural members were considered as prime variables. Analysis results revealed the design strength of the tension members where at least one of the cross-sectional parts is not connected to the connection plates, I-shaped compression members where a slenderness ratio is below 39 (𝛌<39), U-shaped compression members and flexural members where L_b is between L_p and L_r (L_pb≤L_r) designed based on TS 648 are greater than those designed based on SDCCSS 2018. Strength differences between the specification can reach 79% for tensile members, 13% for compression members and 9% for flexural members.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-51
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• 2012

Local buckling can be ignored for hot-rolled ordinary strength steel equal angle compression members, because the width-to-thickness ratios of the leg don't exceed the limit value. With the development of steel structures, Q420 high strength steel angles with the nominal yield strength of 420 MPa have begun to be widely used in China. Because of the high strength, the limit value of the width-to-thickness ratio becomes smaller than that of ordinary steel strength, which causes that the width-to-thickness ratios of some hot-rolled steel angle sections exceed the limit value. Consequently, local buckling must be considered for 420 MPa steel equal angles under axial compression. The existing research on the local buckling of high strength steel members under axial compression is briefly summarized, and it shows that there is lack of study on the local buckling of high strength steel equal angles under axial compression. Aiming at the local buckling of high strength steel angles, this paper conducts an axial compression experiment of 420MPa high strength steel equal angles, including 15 stub columns. The test results are compared with the corresponding design methods in ANSI/AISC 360-05 and Eurocode 3. Then a finite element model is developed to analyze the local buckling behavior of high strength steel equal angles under axial compression, and validated by the test results. Following the validation, a finite element parametric study is conducted to study the influences of a range of parameters, and the analysis results are compared with the design strengths by ANSI/AISC 360-05 and Eurocode 3.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.343-365
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• 2012

Steel suspension members subjected to tension and bending offer an economical and efficient alternative for many structural problems. This paper is concerned with the elastic and elastic-plastic behaviour of suspension members with bending stiffness subjected to vertical point and uniformly distributed loads. An experimental study is described which focuses on the response of three suspension members with various T-shaped steel hot rolled sections and geometric configurations. The tests enable direct assessment of the influence of a key parameter such as the sag-to-span ratio on the response of suspension members. Detailed nonlinear finite-element models are generated to provide a tool for theoretical analyses and to facilitate further understanding of the behaviour. Results demonstrate that experimentally obtained responses can generally be closely predicted numerically because there are relatively good agreements between finite element and tests results. The results and observations of subsequent numerical parametric studies offer an insight into the key factors that govern the behaviour of suspension members with bending stiffness in the elastic-plastic range.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2019

Any revision of seismic codes usually demands a higher capacity from structural members, making existing structures unsafe particularly from strength considerations. Retrofitting of capacity deficient members is very suitable for tackling such situations. This paper presents an experimental study on different retrofitting measures adopted for strengthening a series of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Four identical RC beam specimens were casted, out of which three specimens were strengthened by different schemes (viz., bolted hot rolled flat, bolted cold-formed steel channel, and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate, respectively) on their tension face and tested under four-point monotonic loading. This study focuses on the investigation of the flexural behaviour of these retrofitted beams, observed in terms of strength and stiffness. It was concluded that all retrofitting measures improved the structural performance of these beams. However, the cost involved with each strengthening mode was proportional to the improvement in the performance achieved.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.545-554
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• 2018

This study presents a novel method of improving the strength and stiffness of cold-formed steel (CFS) beams. Flexural members are primary members in most of the structures. Hence, there is an urgent need in the CFS industry to look beyond the conventional CFS beam sections and develop novel techniques to address the severe local buckling problems that exist in CFS flexural members. The primary objective of this study was to develop new CFS composite beam sections with improved structural performance and economy. This paper presents an experimental study conducted on different CFS composite beams with simply supported end conditions under four point loading. Material properties and geometric imperfections of the models were measured. The test strengths of the models are compared with the design strengths predicted by using Australian/New Zealand Standard for cold-formed steel structures. Furthermore, to ensure high precision testing, a special testing rig was also developed for testing of long span beams. The description of test models, testing rig features and test results are presented here. For better interpretation of results, a comparison of the test results with a hot rolled section is also presented. The test results have shown that the proposed CFS composite beams are promising both in terms of better structural performance as well as economy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.239-250
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• 2006

In this study, the experimental bending behaviors of an H-secti on-steel-beam-attached high-strength steel plate or steel beam were analyzed. Its structural performance was verified by comparing the results of the experiment and the analysis that were conducted. In fabricating an unprestressed composite beam using two members that have different strengths, the generated slip on the joint in proport problem because of the redistribution of force caused by the lose state of the joint. Therefore, when fabricating composite beams, it is important to load them with prestressed forces. Based on the results of the experiment that was conducted, the prestressed composite-steel-beam-attached steel plate or beam has a higher bending resistance and load-carrying capacit

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2017

Single-storey industrial buildings are one of the most often type of structures built among various skeletal framed steel constructions. These metallic buildings offer an exceptional opportunity to minimise the material employed, contributing to a more sustainable construction. In particular, the mansard portal frame is a typology made up of broken beams that involves different lengths and discontinuous slopes. This study aims the weight reduction of the standard mansard portal frame with design purposes by means of varying four parameters: the kink position, the eaves-apex slope, the span and the columns height. In this work, we suggest some guidelines that can improve the economical competitive capabilities of their structural design. In all the cases analysed, the joints of the portal frame are placed over the theoretical non-funicular shape to uniform loads. This allows reducing the bending moment and the shear force, but increasing the axial force. In addition, the performance of mansard and typical pitched portal frames submitted to the same boundary conditions is compared in terms of efficiency in the use of steel. In the large majority of the cases, mansard typologies are lighter than the common pitched frames and, hence, more economical.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.699-718
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• 2015

The effect of reinforcing concrete members with high strength steel bars with yield strength up to 600 MPa on the overall seismic behavior of concrete moment frames was studied experimentally and numerically. Three geometrically identical plane frame models with two bays and two stories, where one frame model was reinforced with hot rolled bars (HRB) with a nominal yield strength of 335 MPa and the other two by high strength steel bars with a nominal yield strength of 600 MPa, were tested under simulated earthquake action considering different axial load ratios to investigate the hysteretic behavior, ductility, strength and stiffness degradation, energy dissipation and plastic deformation characteristics. Test results indicate that utilizing high strength reinforcement can improve the structural resilience, reduce residual deformation and achieve favorable distribution pattern of plastic hinges on beams and columns. The frame models reinforced with normal and high strength steel bars have comparable overall deformation capacity. Compared with the frame model subjected to a low axial load ratio, the ones under a higher axial load ratio exhibit more plump hysteretic loops. The proved reliable finite element analysis software DIANA was used for the numerical simulation of the tests. The analytical results agree well with the experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2003

Cantilevers are unique statically determinate structural elements with respect to their mode of overall buckling, in that the tension flange is the critical flange under gravity loading, and is the flange that deflects greatest during overall buckling. While this phenomenon does not complicate the calculation of the lateral buckling load, either theoretically or in structural design codes, it has been shown in previous research that the influence of distortion in the elastic buckling of cantilevers is not the same as that experienced in the elastic buckling of simply supported beams. This paper extends the study of the distortional buckling of cantilevers into the hitherto unconsidered inelastic range of structural response. A finite element method for studying the inelastic bifurcative instability of members whose cross-sections may distort during buckling is described, and the efficacy of the method is demonstrated. It is then used to study the inelastic distortional buckling of hot-rolled I-section cantilevers with two common patterns of residual stresses, and which may be restrained elastically from buckling by other structural elements.