• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2018

Thin-walled cross-sections can be optimized to enhance their resistance and progress their behaviour, leading to more competent and inexpensive structural system. The aim of this study is to afford a methodology that would facilitate progress of optimized cold formed steel (CFS) column section with maximum ultimate strength for practical applications. The proposed sections are designed to comply with the geometrical standards of pre-qualified column standards for CFS structures as well as with the number of industrialized and practical constraints. The stiffening evaluation process of CFS lipped channel columns, a five different cross section are considered. The experimental strength and behaviour of the proposed sections are verified by using the finite element analysis (FEA). A series comprehensive parametric study is carried out covering a wide range of section slenderness and overall slenderness ratio of the CFS column with and without intermediate web stiffeners. The ultimate strength of the sections is determined based on the Direct Strength Specification and other design equation available from the literature for CFS structures. A modified design method is proposed for the DSM specification. The results indicate that the CFS column with complex edge and intermediate web stiffeners provides an ultimate strength which is up to 78% higher than standard optimized shapes with the same amount of cross sectional area.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2010

A total of 28 wall panels were cast and tested under uniformly distributed axial load in one-way in-plane action to study the effect of slenderness ratio (SR) and aspect ratio (AR) on the ultimate load. Two concrete formulations, normal concrete (NC) and self compacting concrete (SCC), were used for the casting of wall panels. Out of 28 wall panels, 12 were made of NC and the remaining 16 panels were of SCC. All the 12 NC panels and 12 out of 16 SCC panels were used to study the influence of SR and the remaining 4 SCC panels were tested to study the effect of AR on the ultimate load. A brief review of studies available in literature on the strength and behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) wall panels is presented. Load-deformation response was recorded and analyzed. The ultimate load of SCC wall panels decreases non-linearly with the increase in SR and decreases linearly with increasing values of AR. Based on this study a method is proposed to predict the ultimate load of reinforced SCC wall panels. The modified method includes the effect of SR, AR and concrete strength.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.407-422
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• 2005

Plate elements in fully profiled sandwich panels are generally subjected to local buckling failure modes and this behaviour is treated in design by using the conventional effective width method for plates with a width to thickness (b/t) ratio less than 100. If the plate elements are very slender (b/t > 1000), the panel failure is governed by wrinkling instead of local buckling and the strength is determined by the flexural wrinkling formula. The plate elements in fully profiled sandwich panels do not fail by wrinkling as their b/t ratio is generally in the range of 100 to 600. For this plate slenderness region, it was found that the current effective width formula overestimates the strength of the fully profiled sandwich panels whereas the wrinkling formula underestimates it. Hence a new effective width design equation has been developed for practical plate slenderness values. However, no guidelines exist to identify the plate slenderness (b/t) limits defining the local buckling, wrinkling and the intermediate regions so that appropriate design rules can be used based on plate slenderness ratios. A research study was therefore conducted using experimental and numerical studies to investigate the effect of plate slenderness ratio on the ultimate strength behaviour of foam supported steel plate elements. This paper presents the details of the study and the results.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.44-50
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• 1991

The use of high tensile steel plates is increasing in the fabrication of ship and offshore structures. The softening region which has lower yield stress than base metal is located to prevent cracking in the conventional high tensile steel. Also, thermo mechanical control process(TMCP) steel with low carbon equivalent has the softening region which occurs in the heat affected zone when high heat input weld is carried out. The softening region in the high tensile steel gives rise to serious effect on structural strength such as tensile strength, fatigue strength and ultimate strength. In order to make a reliable structural design using high tensile steel plates, the influence of the softening on plate strength should be evaluated in advance. In the previous paper, the authors discussed the ultimate compressive strength of 50HT steel square plates with softening region. In this paper, the ultimate compressive strength with varying the yield stress of softening region and the aspect ratio of the plate is investigated by using the elasto-plastic large deformation finite element method.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.599-615
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• 2021

The ultimate strength behaviour of sandwich composite beams with J-hooks and normal weight concrete (SCSSBJNs) are studied through two-point loading tests on ten full-scale SCSSBJNs. The test results show that the SCSSBJN with different parameters under two-point loads exhibits three types of failure modes, i.e., flexure, shear, and combined shear and flexure mode. SCSSBJN failed in different failure modes exhibits different load-deflection behaviours, and the main difference of these three types of behaviours exist in their last working stages. The influences of thickness of steel faceplate, shear span ratio, concrete core strength, and spacing of J-hooks on structural behaviours of SCSSBJN are discussed and analysed. These test results show that the failure mode of SCSSBJN was sensitive to the thickness of steel faceplate, shear span ratio, and concrete core strength. Theoretical models are developed to estimate the cracking, yielding, and ultimate bending resistance of SCSSBJN as well as its transverse cross-sectional shear resistance. The validations of predictions by these theoretical models proved that they are capable of estimating strengths of novel SCSSBJNs.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.403-426
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• 2012

This paper deals with the structural behaviour of tapered concrete-filled steel composite (TCFSC) columns under eccentric loading. Finite element software LUSAS is used to perform the nonlinear analyses to predict the structural behaviour of the columns. Results from the finite element modelling and existing experimental test are compared to verify the accuracy of the modelling. It is demonstrated that they correlate reasonably well with each other; therefore, the proposed finite element modelling is absolutely accurate to predict the structural behaviour of the columns. Nonlinear analyses are carried out to investigate the behaviour of the columns where the main parameters are: (1) tapered angle (from $0^{\circ}$ to $2.75^{\circ}$); (2) steel wall thickness (from 3 mm to 4 mm); (3) load eccentricity (15 mm and 30 mm); (4) L/H ratio (from 10.67 to 17.33); (5) concrete compressive strength (from 30 MPa to 60 MPa); (6) steel yield stress (from 250 MPa to 495 MPa). Results are depicted in the form of load versus mid-height deflection plots. Effects of various tapered angles, steel wall thicknesses, and L/H ratios on the ultimate load capacity, ductility and stiffness of the columns are studied. Effects of different load eccentricities, concrete compressive strengths and steel yield stresses on the ultimate load capacity of the columns are also examined. It is concluded from the study that the parameters considerably influence the structural behaviour of the columns.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.221-235
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• 2005

In this paper, the shear resistance behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) dapped end beams is investigated by 24 tests until failure load. The main parameters considered are the dapped end height, the type and effective range to provided the stirrups and the bent form of the longitudinal reinforcement. The failure behaviour of dapped end beams is presented and some conclusions are given. Inclined stirrups and longitudinal bent reinforcement have more influence on the shear capacity than vertical stirrups. Additionally, the shear mechanism of dapped end beams is analysed. Relatively simple semi-empirical equations for shear strength have been derived based on the results of 22 dapped end beams. The predicted results are in close agreement with the experimental ones. Finally, some design suggestions for the ultimate shear strength of dapped end beams are presented.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2020

The seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) columns made from high-strength materials was investigated experimentally. Six high-strength concrete specimen columns (1:4 scale), which included three with high-strength stirrups (HSSs) and three with normal-strength stirrups (NSSs), were tested under a combination of high axial and reversed cyclic loads. The effects of stirrup strength and the ratio of transverse reinforcement on the cracking patterns, hysteretic response, strength, stiffness, ductility, energy dissipation and strain of transverse reinforcement were studied. The results indicate that good seismic behaviour of an RC column subjected to high axial compression can be obtained by using a well-shaped stirrup. Stirrup strength had little effect on the lateral bearing capacity. However, the ductility was significantly modified by improving the stirrup strength. When loaded with a large lateral displacement, the strength reduction of NSS specimens was more severe than that of those with HSSs, and increasing the stirrup strength had little effect on the stiffness reduction. The ductility and energy dissipation of specimens with HSSs were superior to those with NSSs. When the ultimate displacement was reached, the core concrete could be effectively restrained by HSSs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.323-337
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• 2017

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive experimental investigation on the compressive behaviour of steel tube-confined concrete (STCC) stub columns with active and passive confinement. To create active confinement in STCC columns, an innovative technique is used in which steel tube is laterally pre-tensioned while the concrete core is simultaneously pre-compressed by applying pressure on fresh concrete. A total of 135 STCC specimens with active and passive confinement are tested under axial compression load and their compressive strength, ultimate strain capacity, axial and lateral stress-strain curves and failure mode are evaluated. The test variables include concrete compressive strength, outer diameter to wall thickness ratio of steel tube and prestressing level. It is shown that applying active confinement on STCC specimens can considerably improve their mechanical properties. However, applying higher prestressing levels and keeping the applied pressure for a long time do not considerably affect the mechanical properties of actively confined specimens. Based on the results of this study, new empirical equations are proposed to estimate the axial strength and ultimate strain capacity of STCC stub columns with active and passive confinement.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.967-980
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• 2014

In regions of high shear forces in composite bridges, headed stud shear connectors need to be arranged with a small spacing in order to satisfy the design requirement of resisting the high interface shear force present at this location. Despite this, studies related to groups of headed studs are somewhat rare. This paper presents an investigation of the static behaviour of grouped stud shear connectors in high-strength concrete. Descriptions are given of five push-out test specimens with different arrangements of the studs that were fabricated and tested, and the failure modes, load-slip response, ultimate load capacities and related slip values that were obtained are reported. It is found that the load-slip equation given by some researchers based on a single stud shear connector in normal strength concrete do not apply to grouped stud shear connectors in high-strength concrete, and an algebraic load-slip expression is proposed based on the test results. Comparisons between the test results and the formulae provided by some national codes show that the equations for the ultimate capacity provided in these codes are conservative when used for connectors in high-strength concrete. A reduction coefficient is proposed to take into account the effect of the studs being in a group.