• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.563-580
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• 2010

Composite beams using bolts to attach steel plates to the side faces of existing reinforced concrete (RC) coupling beams can enhance both their strength and deformability. The behavior of those composite beams differs substantially from the behavior of typical composite beams made up of steel beams and concrete slabs. The former are subjected to longitudinal, vertical and rotational slips, while the latter only involve longitudinal slip. In this study, a mixed analysis method was adopted to develop the fundamental equations for accurate prediction of the load-carrying capacity of steel plate strengthened RC coupling beams. Then, a rigid plastic analysis technique was used to cope with the full composite effect of the bolt group connections. Two theoretical models for the determination of the strength of medium-length plate strengthened coupling beams based on mixed analysis and rigid plastic methods are presented. The strength of the strengthened coupling beams is derived. The vertical and longitudinal slips of the steel plates and the shear strength of the anchor-bolt connection group is considered. The theoretical models are validated by the available experimental results presented in a companion paper. The strength of the specimens predicted from the mixed analysis model is found to be in good agreement with that from the experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.5
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• pp.637-650
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• 2021

The paper presents an investigation of the widely varying mechanical performance and behaviour of steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete beams using non-destructive techniques of Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) under four-point bending. Laboratory experiments are performed on both differently reinforced concrete beams with 0.33%, 0.52% and 1.11% of tension reinforcement against balanced section. The results show that the ultimate load-carrying capacity increases with an increase in tensile reinforcement in both cases. In addition to that, AE waveform parameters of amplitude and number of AE hits successfully correlates and picks up the divergent mechanism of cracking initiation and progression of failure in steel reinforced and GFRP reinforced concrete beams. AE activity is about 20-30% more in GFRP-RC beams as compared to steel-RC beams. It was primarily due to the lower modulus of elasticity of GFRP bars leading to much larger ductility and deflections as compared to steel-RC beams. Furthermore, AE XY event plots and longitudinal strain profiles using DIC gives an online and real-time visual display of progressive AE activity and strains respectively to efficaciously depict the crack evolution and their advancement in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams which show a close matching with the micro-and macro-cracks visually observed in the actual beams at various stages of loading.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.57-70
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• 2016

The predominant type of buckling that I-steel concrete composite beams experience in the negative moment area is distortional buckling. The key factors that affect distortional buckling are the torsional and lateral restraints by the bottom flange. This study thoroughly investigates the equivalent lateral and torsional restraint stiffnesses of the bottom flange of an I-steel concrete composite beam under negative moments. The results show a coupling effect between the applied forces and the lateral and torsional restraint stiffnesses of the bottom flange. A formula is proposed to calculate the critical buckling stress of the I-steel concrete composite beams under negative moments by considering the lateral and torsional restraint stiffnesses of the bottom flange. The proposed method is shown to better predict the critical bending moment of the I-steel composite beams. This article introduces an improved method to calculate the elastic foundation beams, which takes into account the lateral and torsional restraint stiffnesses of the bottom flange and considers the coupling effect between them. The results show a close match in results from the calculation method proposed in this paper and the ANSYS finite element method, which validates the proposed calculation method. The proposed calculation method provides a theoretical basis for further research on distortional buckling and the ultimate resistance of I-steel concrete composite beams under a variable axial force.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.647-656
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• 2017

This paper presents an experimental study on the behaviour of steel beams with different types of web openings. Steel beams with web openings became progressively more accepted as a well-organized structural form in steel construction since their existence. Their complicated design and profiling method provides better flexibility in beam proportioning for strength, depth, size and location of holes. The objective of this study is to carry out the experiments on steel beams with different types of web openings and performed non-linear finite element (FE) analysis of the beams that were considered in the experimental study in order to determine their ultimate load capacity and failure modes for comparison. Ten full scale models of steel beam with web openings have been tested in the experimental investigation. The finite element method has been used to predict their entire response to increasing values of external loading until they lose their load carrying capacity. FE model of each specimen that is utilized in the experimental studies is carried out. These models are used to simulate the experimental work to verify test results and to investigate the nonlinear behaviour of failure modes such as local buckling, lateral torsional buckling, web-post buckling, shear buckling and Vierendeel bending of beams.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.211-226
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• 2000

A procedure has been developed for bolting steel plates to the sides of existing reinforced concrete beams which can be used to increase the shear strength of beams, increase the flexural strength of beams with enhanced ductility or with only a small loss of ductility, and increase the stiffness of beams in order to reduce deflections and crack widths. It will be shown in this paper, through a qualitative analysis and through the results of testing eight large scale beams, that standard rigid plastic analysis techniques which are commonly used in the design of reinforced-concrete, steel, and composite steel and concrete beams cannot be used directly to design composite bolted-plated reinforced-concrete beams. In the companion paper, quantitative procedures will be used to adapt the standard rigid plastic analysis techniques for this relatively new form of retrofitting.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.21-35
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• 2019

This study investigates the flexural behavior of steel-concrete composite beams strengthened with prestressed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates. An innovative mechanical anchorage system was developed. The components of the system can be easily assembled on site before applying a prestressing force, and removed from the structures after strengthening is completed. A total of seven steel-concrete composite specimens including four simply supported beams strengthened at the positive moment region and three continuous beams strengthened at the negative moment region were tested statically until failure. Experimental results showed that the use of prestressed CFRP plates enhanced the flexural capacity and reduced the mid-span deflection of the beams. Furthermore, by prestressing the CFRP laminates, the material was used more efficiently, and the crack resistance of the continuous composite specimens at the central support was significantly improved after strengthening. Overall, the anchorage system proved to be practical and feasible for the strengthening of steel-concrete composite beams. The theoretical analysis of ultimate bearing capacity is reported, and good agreement between analytical values and experimental results is achieved.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.289-298
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• 2022

In the present study, structural behavior of steel beams strengthened with CFRP strips and cables was investigated by a series of experiments. For this purpose, two groups of experimental studies were carried out: one for the beam series strengthened only with CFRP strips and the other for the steel beam series strengthened with CFRP strips and prestressed wires. From this test, it is found that the flexural stiffness and strength of the steel beams strengthened with CFRP strips and cables were significantly improved comparing to the un-strengthened one. Three failure modes such as sudden de-bonding, splitting and rupturing of CFRP strips were observed. The ultimate tensile strains of attached CFRP strips on the steel beams were noticed in the range between 8,000με and 11,000με, and this result disclose the perfect composite reaction CFRP strips and steel beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.295-312
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• 2013

In this paper, a simplified approach based on critical temperature for fire resistance design of steel-concrete composite beams is proposed. The method for determining the critical temperature and fire protection of the composite beams is developed on the basis of load-bearing limit state method employed in current Chinese Technical Code for Fire safety of Steel Structure in Buildings. Parameters affecting the critical temperature of the composite beams are analysed. The results show that at a definite load level, section shape of steel beams, material properties, effective width of concrete slab and concrete property model have little influence on the critical temperature of composite beams. However, the fire duration and depth of concrete slab have significant influence on the critical temperature. The critical temperatures for commonly used composite beams, at various depth of concrete and fire duration, are given to provide a reference for engineers. The validity of the practical approach for predicting the critical temperature of the composite beams is conducted by comparing the prediction of a composite beam with the results from some fire design codes and full scale fire resistance tests on the composite beam.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.627-641
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• 2024

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study to investigate the behavior of the precast segmental concrete beams (PSCBs) utilizing high-strength concrete (HSC) connected in the zone of the maximum bending moment using steel extended endplate connections (EECs). The experimental study consisted of five beams as follows: The first beam was the control beam for comparison, which was an unconnected one-piece beam made of HSC. The other four other beams consisted of two identical pieces of precast concrete. An important point to be noted is that at the end of each piece, a steel plate was used with a thickness of 10 mm. Moreover, this steel plate was welded to the lower and upper reinforcing bars of the beam. Furthermore, the steel plate was made to connect the two pieces using the technique of EECs. Several variables were taken in these four beams, whether from the shape of the connection or enhancing the behavior of the connection using the post-tensioning technique. EECs without stiffeners were used for some of the tested beams. The behavior of these connections was improved using stiffeners and shear bolts. To get accurate results, a comparison was made between the behaviors of the five beams. Another important point to be noted is that Abaqus and SAP2000 programs were used to investigate the behavior of PSCBs and to ensure the accuracy of the modeling process which showed a good agreement with the experimental results. Additionally, the simplified modeling using SAP2000 was able to model the nonlinear behavior of PSCBs connected using steel EECs. It was found that the steel pre-tensioned bolted EECs, reinforced with steel stiffeners and shear anchors, could be used to connect the precast HSC segmental beams via the internal pre-stressing technique.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.69-85
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• 2010

The present paper presents a study on the behavior and design of corrugated web steel beams with and without web openings. In the literature, the web opening problem in steel beams was dealt with mostly for steel beams with plane web plates and research on the effect of an opening on a corrugated web was found out to be very limited. The present study deals mainly with the effect of web openings on the transverse load carrying capacity of steel beams with sinusoidally corrugated webs. A general purpose finite element program (ABAQUS) was used. Simply supported corrugated web beams of 2 m length and with circular web openings at quarter span points were considered. These points are generally considered to be the optimum locations of web openings for steel beams. Various cases were analyzed including the size of the openings and the corrugation density which is a function of the magnitude and length of the sine wave. Models without web holes were also analyzed and compared with other cases which were all together examined in terms of load-deformation characteristics and ultimate web shear resistance.