• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.67-84
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• 2002

Traffic decks of steel or composite motorway bridges sometimes provide the opportunity of using the composite action between an existing steel deck and a reinforced concrete plate (RC plate) in the process of rehabilitation, i.e., to increase the load-carrying capacity of the deck for concentrated traffic loads. The steel decks may be orthotropic decks or also unstiffened steel plates, which during the rehabilitation are connected with the RC plate by shear studs, such developing an improved local load distribution by the joint behaviour of the two plate elements. Investigations carried out, both experimentally and numerically, were performed in order to quantitatively assess the combined static behaviour and to qualitatively verify the usability of the structure for dynamic loading. The paper reports on the testing, the numerical simulation as well as the comparison of the results. Conclusions drawn for practical design indicated that the static behaviour of these structures may be very efficient and can also be analysed numerically. Further, the results gave evidence of a highly robust behaviour under fatigue equivalent cyclic traffic loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.765-777
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• 2022

Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) can be used in the UHPC-steel composite structures especially for bridge structures to achieve high stiffness and high fatigue resistance with low self-weight. The structural performances of UHPC-steel composite slabs subjected to hogging moment have a significant influence on the global stiffness and durability of UHPC-steel composite structures. In order to study the structural behaviors of non-steam-cured UHPC-steel composite slabs subjected to negative moment, five composite slabs combined the thin UHPC layers to steel plates via shear stud connecters with the diameter of 16mm were fabricated and tested under negative moment. The test program aimed to investigate the effect of stud spacing and longitudinal reinforcement ratios on the failure mode, load-deflection behaviors, cracking patterns, bond-slips, and carrying capacities of composite slabs subjected to negative moment. In addition, direct tensile tests for the dog-bone UHPC specimens with longitudinal reinforcement bars were carried out to study the effect of reinforcement bars on the tensile strength of UHPC in the thin structure members. Based on the experimental results, analytical models were also developed to predict the cracking load and ultimate load of UHPC-steel composite slabs subjected to negative moment.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.561-568
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• 2017

Steel frames are widely used in steel structures. Exiting steel structures may be needed to strengthen for various reasons. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) is one of the materials that are used to strengthen steel structures. Most studies on strengthening steel structures have been done on beams and steel columns. No independent study, to the researcher's knowledge, has studied the effect of CFRP strengthening on steel frames. This study explored the use of CFRP composite on retrofitting square hollow section (SHS) steel frames, using numerical investigations. Ten Finite Element (FE) models, which were strengthened with CFRP sheets, were analyzed under different coverage length, number of layers, and location of CFRP composite. One FE model without strengthening was analyzed as a control FE model to determine the increase of the ultimate load in the strengthened steel frames. ANSYS software was used to analyze the SHS steel frames. The results showed that the coverage length and the number of layers of CFRP composite have a significant effect on increasing the ultimate load of the SHS steel frames. The results also showed that the location of CFRP composite had no similar effect on increasing the ultimate load and the amount of mid span deflection of the SHS steel frames.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.147-160
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• 2002

This paper summarises results of the research performed at the Department of Steel Structures and Structural Mechanics from the "Politehnica" University of Timisoara, Romania, in order to evaluate the performance of beam-to-column extended end plate connections for steel and composite joints. It comprises laboratory tests on steel and composite joints, and numerical modelling of joints, based on tests. Tested joints are double-sided, with structural elements realised of welded steel sections. The columns are of cruciform cross-section, while the beams are of I section. Both monotonic and cyclic loading, symmetrically and antisymmetrically, has been applied. On the basis of tested joints, a refined computer model has been calibrated using a special connection element of the computer code DRAIN 2DX. In this way, a static/dynamic structural analysis of framed structures with real characteristics of the beam to column joints is possible.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.719-729
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• 2016

There are great needs of simple but reliable mechanical nonlinear behavior analysis and performance evaluation method for frames constructed by steel and concrete composite beams or columns when the structures subjected extreme loads, such as earthquake loads. This paper describes an approach of simplified macro-modelling for composite frames consisting of steel-concrete composite beams and CFST columns, and presents the performance evaluation procedure based on the pushover nonlinear analysis results. A four-story two-bay composite frame underground is selected as a study case. The establishment of the macro-model of the composite frame is guided by the characterization of nonlinear behaviors of composite structural members. Pushover analysis is conducted to obtain the lateral force versus top displacement curve of the overall structure. The identification method of damage degree of composite frames has been proposed. The damage evolution and development of this composite frame in case study has been analyzed. The failure mode of this composite frame is estimated as that the bottom CFST columns damage substantially resulting in the failure of the bottom story. Finally, the seismic performance of the composite frame with high strength steel is analyzed and compared with the frame with ordinary strength steel, and the result shows that the employment of high strength steel in the steel tube of CFST columns and steel beam of composite beams benefits the lateral resistance and elasticity resuming performance of composite frames.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.51-66
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• 2022

This paper presents the axial compression behavior of partially encased composite (PEC) columns using H-shaped structural steel. In the experimental program, a total of eight PEC columns with H-shaped steel sections of different flange and web slenderness ratios were tested to investigate the interactive mechanism between steel and concrete. The test results showed that the PEC columns could sustain the load well beyond the peak load provided that the flange slenderness ratio was not greater than five. In addition, the previous analytical model was extended to predict the axial load-strain relationships of the PEC columns with H-shaped steel sections. A good agreement between the predicted load-strain relationships and test data was observed. Using the analytical model, the effects of compressive strength of concrete (21 to 69 MPa), yield strength of steel (245 to 525 MPa), slenderness ratio of flange (4 to 10), and slenderness ratio of web (10 to 25) on the interactive mechanism (K_h = confinement factor for highly confined concrete and K_w = reduction factor for steel web) and ductility index (DI = ratio between strain at peak load and strain at proportional load) were assessed. The numerical results showed that the slenderness of steel flange and yield strength of steel significantly influenced the compression behavior of the PEC columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.783-794
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• 2020

Steel-concrete-steel sandwich composite wall is composed of two external steel plates and infilled concrete core. Internal mechanical connectors are used to enhance the composite action between the two materials. In this paper, the compressive behavior of a novel sandwich composite wall was studied. The steel trusses were applied to connect the steel plates to the concrete core. Three short specimens with different truss spacings were tested under compressive loading. The boundary columns were not included. It was found that the failure of walls started from the buckling of steel plates and followed by the crushing of concrete. Global instability was not observed. It was also observed that the truss spacing has great influence on ultimate strength, buckling stress, ductility, strength index, lateral deflection, and strain distribution. Three modern codes were introduced to calculate the capacity of walls. The comparisons between test results and code predictions show that AISC 360 provides significant underestimations while Eurocode 4 and CECS 159 offer overestimated predictions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.341-354
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• 2001

This paper provides a state-of-the-art review on advanced analysis models for investigating the load-displacement and ultimate load behaviour of steel and composite frames subjected to static gravity and lateral loads. Various inelastic analysis models for steel and composite members are reviewed. Composite beams under positive and negative moments are analysed using a moment-curvature relationship which captures the effects of concrete cracking and steel yielding along the members length. Beam-to-column connections are modeled using rotational spring. Building core walls are modeled using thin-walled element. Finally, the nonlinear behaviour of a complete multi-storey building frame consisting of a centre core-wall and the perimeter frames for lateral-load resistance is investigated. The performance of the total building system is evaluated in term of its serviceability and ultimate limit states.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1161-1176
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• 2015

The connection between a column and a beam is of particular importance to ensure the safety of civil engineering structures, such as high-rise buildings and bridges. While the connector must bear sufficient force for load transmission, increase of its ductility, toughness and damping may greatly enhance the overall safety of the structures. In this work, a composite beam-column connector is proposed and analyzed with the finite element method, including effects of elasticity, linear viscoelasticity, plasticity, as well as geometric nonlinearity. The composite connector consists of three parts: (1) soft steel; (2) polymer; and (3) conventional steel to be connected to beam and column. It is found that even in the linear range, the energy dissipation capacity of the composite connector is largely enhanced by the polymer material. Since the soft steel exhibits low yield stress and high ductility, hence under large deformation the soft steel has the plastic deformation to give rise to unique energy dissipation. With suitable geometric design, the connector may be tuned to exhibit different strengths and energy dissipation capabilities for real-world applications.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.405-413
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• 2020

Current study on the buckling analysis of steel plate in composite structures normally focuses on applying finite element method to derive the buckling stress. However, it is time consuming, computationally complicated and tedious for general use in design by civil engineers. Therefore, in this study an analytical study is conducted to predict the buckling behavior of steel plates in composite structures. Hand calculation method was proposed based on energy principle. Novel buckling shapes with biquadratic functions along both loaded and unloaded direction were proposed to satisfy the boundary condition. Explicit solutions for predicting the critical local buckling stress of steel plate is obtained based on the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The obtained results are compared with both experimental and numerical data. Good agreement has been achieved. Furthermore, the influences of key factors such as aspect ratio, width to thickness ratio, and elastic restraint stiffness on the local buckling performance are comprehensively discussed.