Effects of connection types and elevated temperature on the impact behaviour of restrained beam in portal steel frame

Based on the background of structural protection and Disaster Reduction Engineering, the dynamic behaviour and failure mechanism of restrained beams in portal steel frames in localised fire are investigated via experimental measurement and numerical simulation techniques. Comprehensive parametric studies are carried out to discuss the influence of end connection types, temperature, impact velocity,impact mass and span-to-depth ratio(SDR) on the dynamic response of the beams. The characteristics of deformation, internal force and energy distribution about the restrained beams and its joints are investigated. A temperature dependent criterion for evaluating the frame joint performance is proposed to measure the degree of performance degradation and impact resistance of the joint. The dynamic displacement amplification factor in different temperature environments are proposed for the different beam end constraint types and SDRs. Results of the experimental and numerical analysis show that the welded connection(WC) of three typical joint types is the strongest, and the extended endplate connection(EEC) is the weakest in terms of the impact resistance performance. With regard to the failure mode of the joint, the failure positions of the WC and the welded-bolted connection are located in the inner web of the column. Meanwhile, the EEC is located in the connection position between the beam and the endplate. Three different internal force stages and two obvious critical temperature boundaries of the restrained beams emerge with the increase in temperature, and they have significant characteristics in terms of deformation trend, internal force transfer and energy distribution. During the impact, a phenomenon known as “compression arch action” develops into “catenary action” with the increase in deflection in the frame beam mechanism.

Seismic Behavior of Diaphragm-Through Connections of Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular Columns and H-Shaped Steel Beams

Based on the introductions of a type of diaphragm-through connection between concrete-filled square steel tubular columns (CFSSTCs) and H-shaped steel beams,a finite element model of the connection is developed and used to investigate the seismic behavior of the connection.The results of the finite element model are validated by a set of cyclic loading tests.The cyclic loading tests and the finite element analyses indicate that the failure mode of the suggested connections is plastic hinge at the beam with inelastic rotation angle exceeding 0.04 rad.The suggested connections have sufficient strength,plastic deformation and energy dissipation capacity to be used in composite moment frames as beam-to-column rigid connections.

Seismic performance of interior precast concrete beam-column connections with T-section steel inserts under cyclic loading

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the performance of precast beam-column concrete connections using T-section steel inserts into the concrete beam and joint core,under reversed cyclic loading.Six 2/3-scale interior beam-column subassemblies,one monolithic concrete specimen and five precast concrete specimens were tested.One precast specimen was a simple connection for a gravity load resistant design.Other precast specimens were developed with different attributes to improve their seismic performance.The test results showed that the performance of the monolithic specimen M1 represented ductile seismic behavior.Failure of columns and joints could be prevented,and the failure of the frame occurred at the flexural plastic hinge formation at the beam ends,close to the column faces.For the precast specimens,the splitting crack along the longitudinal lapped splice was a major failure.The precast P5 specimen with double steel T-section inserts showed better seismic performance compared to the other precast models.However,the dowel bars connected to the steel inserts were too short to develop a bond.The design of the precast concrete beams with lap splice is needed for longer lap lengths and should be done at the beam mid span or at the low flexural stress region.

Local Tensile Strength of Connection Between H-Steel Beam Flange and Concrete-Filled Circular Column Tube with Through Diaphragm

This paper focused on investigating local tensile strength of connection between steel beam flange and concrete-filled circular column tube with through diaphragm. Three specimens were designed and tested to failure, and the structure behavior was studied by experiment and FEM analysis. On the basis of the results obtained, an estimation for local plastic and ultimate strengths of the connections using yield line theory was attempted, which results in a good prediction.

Influence of the column-to-beam flexural strength ratio on the failure mode of beam-column connections in RC frames

The column-to-beam flexural strength ratio(CBFSR)has been used in many seismic codes to achieve the strong column-weak beam(SCWB)failure mode in reinforced concrete(RC)frames,in which plastic hinges appear earlier in beams than in columns.However,seismic investigations show that the required limit of CBFSR in seismic codes usually cannot achieve the SCWB failure mode under strong earthquakes.This study investigates the failure modes of RC frames with different CBFSRs.Nine typical three-story RC frame models with different CBFSRs are designed in accordance with Chinese seismic codes.The seismic responses and failure modes of the frames are investigated through time-history analyses using 100 ground motion records.The results show that the required limit of the CBFSR that guarantees the SCWB failure mode depends on the beam-column connection type and the seismic intensity,and different types of beam-column connections exhibit different failure modes even though they are designed with the same CBFSR.Recommended CBFSRs are proposed for achieving the designed SCWB failure mode for different types of connections in RC frames under different seismic intensities.These results may provide some reference for further revisions of the SCWB design criterion in Chinese seismic codes.

Numerical stress analysis of crack at welded beam-to-column connection

In the past, brittle fracture of steel structure was reported rarely under earthquake. However, recent earthquakes, especially Northridge Earthquake (USA) and Hyogoken Nanbu earthquake (Japan), astonished engineers in the field of construction. The experience from recent earthquakes of USA and Japan shows that brittle fracture of welded steel structure always starts from high stress zone with welded crack [1～5] . As backing bar for grooved weld on beam flange exists, artificial crack is formed because of lack of fusion at the root of flange weld. In this paper stress distribution of connection is computed with FEM, and stress concentration at the root of flange weld is also analyzed. Stress intensity factors (SIFs), K I, at the root of flange weld are computed in the method of fracture mechanics. The computation shows that stress intensity factor on bottom flange weld is obviously higher than that on top flange weld. It is proved by the fact that brittle fracture is liable to start at the root of bottom flange weld on actual earthquake [1,4] . Finally measures are brought forward to avoid fracture of weld structure against earthquake.

Numerical Modeling on Seismic Performance of Castellated Composite Beam⁃Reinforced Concrete Column Connection

The hybrid structure consisting of castellated composite beam and compound spiral hoop reinforced concrete column take full advantages of steel and concrete material.To popularize the structural form in real conditions,a beam⁃through⁃type beam⁃column connection is proposed.Two 1/2⁃scaled connection specimens were tested and three⁃dimensional finite element models of the beam⁃column connection were set up.The longitudinal reinforcements,concrete beam,and column were simulated by link and solid elements,respectively.The influences of the parameters such as expansion ratio,location of web opening,and original height of steel beam were studied.The results show that connections possessed high initial rigidity.The expansion ratio of steel beam showed more important influence on the connection’s ultimate bearing capacity.For the connection models with steel beam expansion ratio of 1.4,the maximum increment of the ultimate bearing capacity of the connection could reach 28%.In order to prevent the local buckling failure of steel beam from occurring near web opening,the expansion ratio of steel beam should not be greater than 1.3.

Experimental study on full-scale steel beam-to-column moment connections

Ten full-scale steel beam-to-column moment connections used in moment-resisting frames （MRFs） were tested to study the failure process, failure mode, strength and plastic rotation capacity. The specimens include one traditional welded flange-bolted web connection, one traditional fully welded connection, four beam flange strengthened connections, three beam flange weakened connections, and one through-diaphragm connection. The test results show that the connections with flange cover plates or with partly cut beam flanges satisfy the beam plastic rotation demand for ductile MRFs. From the measured stress profiles along the beam flange and beam web depth, the mechanics of brittle fracture at the end of the beam is discussed. Design recommendations for steel beam-to-column moment connections are proposed.

Monotonic and Cyclic Pushover Tests of Wood Beam-Column Connections:Ancient Chinese Tenon Joint vs Typical and Simplified US Connections

Wood beam-column frame is a popular structural system in United States and in ancient China. Chinese wood beam-column frame structures showed better seismic resistance properties than the US ones.The tenon joint is one of the reasons.This study performed monotonic and cyclic pushover tests to understand the behavior of Chinese tenon joints versus the behavior of the commonly used US wood beam-column connections. The test results indicate that the typical US wood beam-column connection is very strong under monotonic loads.The ancient Chinese tenon joint has the best behavior under cyclic loads.

Influence of Axial Load Ratio on Shear Behavior of Through-Diaphragm Connections of Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular Columns

Nonlinear finite element analysis and parametric studies were carried out to study the influence of axial load ratio on the shear behavior of the through-diaphragm connections of concrete-filled square steel tubular columns. The analysis reveals that smaller axial load ratio can improve the shear bearing capacity and ductility while larger axial load ratio will decrease the shear behavior of the through-diaphragm connections. The parametric studies indicate that the axial load ratio should be limited to less than 0.4 and its influence should be considered in the analysis and design of such connections.

Experimental study on seismic behavior of semi-rigid connection between steel beam and concrete wall

Beam-column or beam-wall connections are an important problem in high-rise buildings. In this study, based on the analysis of an example structure, an analytical model for design of the semi-rigid connections between steel beams and RC walls in high-rise hybrid buildings is proposed. Also, the mechanical characteristics of these connections subjected to low-reversed cyclic loading are investigated through comparison of experimental results from three semi-rigid connections and two rigid connections. Moreover, some latent problems for design of these connections as well as the corresponding solutions are discussed. The results from the experiments and analyses indicate that semi-rigid connections exhibit satisfactory capacity and seismic performance, and the proposed design can be used in practice.

Effects of temperature change on elastic behavior of steel beams with semi-rigid connections

Based on the nonlinear displacement-strain relationship,the virtual work principle method was used to establish the nonlinear equilibrium equations of steel beams with semi-rigid connections under vertical uniform loads and temperature change.Considering the non-uniform temperature distribution across the thickness of beams,the formulas for stresses and vertical displacements were presented.On the basis of a flowchart for analysis of the numerical example,the effect of temperature change on the elastic behavior of steel beams was investigated.It is found that the maximal stress is mainly influenced by axial temperature change,and the maximal vertical displacement is principally affected by temperature gradients.And the effect of temperature gradients on the maximal vertical displacement decreases with the increase of rotational stiffness of joints.Both the maximal stress and vertical displacement decrease with the increase of rotational stiffness of joints.It can be concluded that the effects of temperature changes and rotational stiffness of joints on the elastic behavior of steel beams are significant.However,the influence of rotational stiffness becomes smaller when the rotational stiffness is larger.

Punching Shear Behavior of RC Slab-Column Connections with Nonrectangular Columns

This paper present an experimental study on the RC slab-column connections with nonrectangular columns, namely cross-shaped column, T-shaped column and L-shaped column. The punching shear deformation and strength characteristics of slab-column connections with nonrectangular columns under punching shear load are investigated. Nine specimens with the three kinds of nonrectangular columns and two reference specimens with square columns are tested. The tested ultimate loads, deformations, and failure modes of specimens are presented and discussed. Test results reveal that the punching shear strength and ductility of the connections with nonrectangular columns are higher than those of the corresponding connections with square columns, and also prove that the application of nonrectangular columns to flat-plate structure was feasible. Based on the test results, one method of calculating punching shear strength of connections with nonrectangular columns is proposed, which conforms with the current design practice of China. The test results on the punching shear strength are compared with the predictions of the formulas proposed by codes of several different countrie; and the predictions given by ACI code and China code are found to be conservative as the reinforcement ratio is increased.

The Efficiency of Reduced Beam Section Connections for Reducing Residual Drifts in Moment Resisting Frames

In most framed structures anticipated deformations in accordance with current codes fall into acceptable limit states, whereas they go through substantial residual deformations in the aftermath of severe ground motions. These structures seem unsafe to occupants since static imminent instability in the immediate post-earthquake may be occurred. Moreover, rehabilitation costs of extensive residual deformations are not usually reasonable. Apparently, there is a lack of detailed knowledge related to reducing residual drift techniques when code-based seismic design is considered. In this paper, reduced beam section connections as a positive approach are taken action to mitigate the huge amount of residual drifts which are greatly amplified by P-Δ effects. To demonstrate the efficacy of RBS, a sixteen-story moment resisting frame is analyzed based on a suite of 8 single-component near field records which have been scaled according to the code provisions. The results are then processed to assess the effects of RBS detailing on drift profile, maximum drift, and residual drift. Besides, a special emphasis is given to estimate overall trend towards drift accumulation in each story in the presence of RBS assembly. A main conclusion is that using this connection predominantly alleviates the adverse effects of P-Δ on amplifying residual drifts.

Seismic performance and comparison of three different I beam to box column joints

Despite the inherently advantages of the box column, finding the best option for the I beam to the box column connection is the main challenge in using the box column as a structural member for special moment frames. In this paper, the seismic performance of urtreinforced connection, weakened connection and strengthened connection was evaluated through a comprehensive experimental program. The seismic comparisons were fabricated by assessing the strength, ductility and energy dissipation in each configuration. Three full scale tests with several connections were carried out. All the specimens were subjected to cyclic loading and prior to failure by forming a plastic hinge in the beam, all the connections managed to reach an inelastic rotation of more than 6.0% rad. The experimental and analytical results showed that the seismic performance of the strengthened connection with flange and shear plates turned out to be the most effective in the beam to the box column connection. Moreover, the normalized stress distribution of the continuity plates revealed that the possibility of the weld fracture in unreinforced connection is more than other specimens.

Seismic performance of precast bridge columns connected with grouted corrugated-metal duct through biaxial quasi-static experiment and modeling

In this paper,the seismic behaviors of precast bridge columns connected with grouted corrugated-metal duct(GCMD)were investigated through the biaxial quasi-static experiment and numerical simulation.With a geometric scale ratio of 1:5,five specimens were fabricated,including four precast bridge columns connected with GCMD and one cast-in-place(CIP)bridge column.A finite element analysis model was also established by using OpenSees and was then calibrated by using the experimental results for parameter analysis.The results show the biaxial seismic performance of the precast bridge columns connected with GCMD was similar to the CIP bridge columns regarding ultimate bearing capacity and hysteresis energy,and further,that it could meet the design goal of equivalent performance.The seismic performance of the precast bridge columns connected with GCMD deteriorated more significantly under bi-directional load than under uni-directional load.A proper slenderness ratio(e.g.,7.0-10.0)and longitudinal reinforcement ratio could significantly improve the energy dissipation capacity and deformation capacity of the precast bridge columns,while the axial load ratio and concrete strength had little influence on the above properties.The research results could bring insights to the development of the seismic design of precast bridge columns connected with GCMD.

FE modeling of concrete beams and columns reinforced with FRP composites

Compression and flexure members such as columns and beams are critical in a structure as its failure could lead to the collapse of the structure.In the present work,numerical analysis of square and circle short columns,and reinforced concrete(RC)beams reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer composites are carried out.This work is divided into two parts.In the first part,numerical study of axial behavior of square and circular concrete columns reinforced with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer(GFRP)and Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer(BFRP)bars and spiral,and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer(CFRP)wraps is conducted.The results of the first part showed that the axial capacity of the circular RC columns reinforced with GFRP increases with the increase of the longitudinal reinforcement ratio.In addition,the results of the numerical analysis showed good correlation with the experimental ones.An interaction diagram for BFRP RC columns is also developed with considering various eccentricities.The results of numerical modeling of RC columns strengthened with CFRP wraps revealed that the number and the spacing between the CFRP wraps provide different levels of ductility enhancement to the column.For the cases considered in this study,column with two middle closely spaced CFRP wraps demonstrated the best performance.In the second part of this research,flexural behavior of RC beams reinforced with BFRP,GFRP and CFRP bars is investigated along with validation of the numerical model with the experimental tests.The results resembled the experimental observations that indicate significant effect of the FRP bar diameter and type ont he flexural capacity of the RC beams.It was also shown that Increasing the number of bars while keeping the same reinforcement ratio enhanced the stiffness of the RC beam.

基于CTM和Beam-Column Joint Element的梁柱节点核心区抗剪仿真

为研究基于CTM和Beam-Column Joint Element单元的钢筋混凝土梁柱节点核心区抗震仿真计算,本文先分析了CTM的计算原理和局限性,并对原计算模型进行调整;之后通过试验数据验证了调整前后模型的正确性,并通过参数分析得出调整前后CTM在不同参数下核心区抗剪强度的变化规律;最后通过对比理论计算与试验下核心区抗剪强度变化规律,证明调整后模型更为准确。

Analysis and seismic tests of composite shear walls with CFST columns and steel plate deep beams

A composite shear wall concept based on concrete filled steel tube （CFST） columns and steel plate （SP） deep beams is proposed and examined in this study. The new wall is composed of three different energy dissipation elements： CFST columns; SP deep beams; and reinforced concrete （RC） strips. The RC strips are intended to allow the core structural elements - the CFST columns and SP deep beams - to work as a single structure to consume energy. Six specimens of different configurations were tested under cyclic loading. The resulting data are analyzed herein. In addition, numerical simulations of the stress and damage processes for each specimen were carried out, and simulations were completed for a range of location and span-height ratio variations for the SP beams. The simulations show good agreement with the test results. The core structure exhibits a ductile yielding mechanism characteristic of strong column-weak beam structures, hysteretic curves are plump and the composite shear wall exhibits several seismic defense lines. The deformation of the shear wall specimens with encased CFST column and SP deep beam design appears to be closer to that of entire shear walls. Establishing optimal design parameters for the configuration of SP deep beams is pivotal to the best seismic behavior of the wall. The new composite shear wall is therefore suitable for use in the seismic design of building structures.

Pushover analysis of reinforced concrete frames considering shear failure at beam-column joints

Since most current seismic capacity evaluations of reinforced concrete （RC） frame structures are implemented by either static pushover analysis （PA） or dynamic time history analysis, with diverse settings of the plastic hinges （PHs） on such main structural components as columns, beams and walls, the complex behavior of shear failure at beam-column joints （BCJs） during major earthquakes is commonly neglected. This study proposes new nonlinear PA procedures that consider shear failure at BCJs and seek to assess the actual damage to RC structures. Based on the specifications of FEMA-356, a simplified joint model composed of two nonlinear cross struts placed diagonally over the location of the plastic hinge is established, allowing a sophisticated PA to be performed. To verify the validity of this method, the analytical results for the capacity curves and the failure mechanism derived from three different full-size RC frames are compared with the experimental measurements. By considering shear failure at BCJs, the proposed nonlinear analytical procedures can be used to estimate the structural behavior of RC frames, including seismic capacity and the progressive failure sequence of joints, in a precise and effective manner.