EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH AND NONLINEAR FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS ON NEW TYPE JOINT BETWEEN COLUMN AND STEEL BEAM OF CONCRETE-FILLED RECTANGULAR STEEL TUBULAR

Experimental results of new type joints between the column and the. steel beam of concrete-filled rectangular steel tubular （CFRT） under reversed cyclic loads are presented. The earthquake resistant capacity of the joint is influenced by infilled concrete, stiffener length and relative dimensions of column and beam. It is found that the hysteresis curves obtained in the experiment are full and the joints have a good energy dissipation capacity. The nonlinear finite element models are also used to analyze the hysteresis behavior of the joints under reversed cyclic loads using ANSYS 8.0. The influences of the stiffener length and the infilled concrete are analyzed. Analytical results show that the stiffener length and the infilled concrete are critical for the joints. Furthermore, the skeleton curves of the finite element models are in good agreement with those of experiments.

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.

Behavior of concrete and concrete-filled circular steel tubular stub columns at constant high temperatures

Based on reanalyzing test results of uniaxial compressive behavior of concrete at constant high temperatures in China, with the compressive cube strength of concrete from 20 to 80 MPa, unified formulas for uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus, strain at peak uniaxial compression and mathematical expression for unaxial compressive stress-strain relations for the concrete at constant high temperatures were studied. Furthermore, the axial stress-axial strain relations between laterally confined concrete under axial compression and multiaxial stress-strain relations for steel at constant high temperatures were studied. Finally, based on continuum mechanics, the mechanics model for concentric cylinders of circular steel tube with concrete core of entire section loaded at constant high temperatures was established. Applying elasto-plastic analysis method, a FORTRAN program was developed, and the concrete-filled circular steel tubular （CFST） stub colunms at constant high temperatures were analyzed. The analysis results are in agreement with the experiment ones from references.

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.

In-Plane Creep Buckling of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Arches

The creep-induced deformation of the arch rib of concrete-filled steel tubular （CFST） arches under a sustained load can increase the bending moment, which may lead to earlier stability failure called creep buckling. To investigate the influences of concrete creep on the buckling strength of arches, a theoretical analysis for the creep buckling of CFST circular arches under distributed radial load is performed. The simplified Arutyunyan-Maslov （AM） creep law is used to model the creep behavior of concrete core, and the creep integral operator is introduced. The analytical solutions of the time-dependent buckling strength under the sustained load are achieved and compared with the existing formula based on the age-adjusted effective modulus method （AEMM）. Then the solutions are used to determine the influences of the steel ratio and the first loading age on the creep buckling of CFST arches. The results show that the analytical solutions are of good accuracy and applicability. For CFST arches, the steel ratio and the first loading age have significant influences on creep buckling. An approximate log-linear relationship between the decreased degrees of the creep buckling strength and the first loading age is found. For the commonly used parameters, the maximum loss of the buckling strength induced bv concrete creen is close to 40%

Progressive Collapse Analysis of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Frames with Semi-rigid Connections

A 9-story concrete-filled steel tubular frame model is used to analyze the response of joints due to sudden column loss. Three different models are developed and compared to study the efficiency and feasibility of simulation, which include substructure model, beam element model and solid element model. The comparison results show that the substructure model has a satisfying capability, calculation efficiency and accuracy to predict the concerned joints as well as the overall framework. Based on the substructure model and a kind of semi-rigid connection for concretefilled square hollow section steel column proposed in this paper, the nonlinear dynamic analyses are conducted by the alternate path method. It is found that the removal of the ground inner column brings high-level joint moments and comparatively low-level axial tension forces. The initial stiffness and transmitted ultimate moment of the semi-rigid connection are the main factors that influence the frame behavior, and their lower limit should be guaranteed to resist collapse. Reduced ultimate moment results in drastic displacement and axial force development, which may bring progressive collapse. The higher initial stiffness ensures that the structure has a stronger capacity to resist progressive collapse.

Low cyclic fatigue performance of concrete-filled steel tube columns

Eight concrete-filled steel tubular(CFT) columns were tested subjected to cyclic loading under constant axial load. Experimental parameters included axial compression ratio, loading sequences, and strength of concrete and steel. The seismic performance of CFT columns and failure modes were analyzed. The test results show that different axial load ratios and loading sequences have effects on the load carrying capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of CFT columns, as well as the failure modes of the CFT columns. The failure pattern can be categorized into two types: local buckling failure of steel tube in compression zone, and low cycle fatigue tearing rupture failure of steel tube. The seismic behavior was evaluated through the energy index obtained from each cycle.

Design equations for maximum stress concentration factors for concrete-filled steel tubular K-joints

Stress concentration factors(SCFs)for welded tubular joints can be decreased by filling the chord with concrete leading to a longer fatigue life.However,there are currently no design formula available in guidelines to predict the SCF of concrete-filled circular hollow section(CFCHS)K-joints,thus limiting their applicability in bridge design.To address this gap,finite element models for CFCHS K-joints were developed and compared against test results to ensure their accuracy.Then,a comprehensive parametric study was conducted to establish relationships between maximum SCFs and four variables:brace-to-chord diameter ratio(b),chord diameter-to-thickness ratio(2g),brace-to-chord thickness ratio(t),and the angle between braces and chord(q).A total of 480 FE models were examined under three loading conditions including brace and chord loading:balanced axial force,chord axial force,and chord bending.Design equations to predict the maximum SCF for CFCHS Kjoints were established by multiple regression analyses of the numerical results.A comparison of maximum SCFs between circular hollow section(CHS)and CFCHS K-joints was made,and it was concluded that average reductions of 42%and 33%in maximum SCFs in CFCHS K-joints at the locations of the chord and brace were found compared to CHS joints for balanced axial force,respectively.Finally,a case study illustrating how to use the proposed equations for fatigue safety verification was presented.

Expansion performance and self-stressing behavior of CFST columns considering concrete creep and shrinkage effect

Expansive concrete is used in the steel tube of Concrete-filled steel tubular(CFST)columns to solve the problem of steel-to-concrete debonding.Self-stress is generated between concrete and steel plate due to concrete expansion,which can effectively improve the mechanical performance of CFST columns.Deformation tests were conducted on concrete and CFST columns,respectively.The free deformation of concrete and circumferential deformation of steel tubes were measured and analyzed.A calculation method was proposed to evaluate the hoop strain,self-stress and creep deformation of the CFST columns.The test and calculation results indicate that the proper addition of expansion agent in the internal concrete can keep concrete expansive and generate self-stresses for a long time.The expansion and self-stresses prevent the debonding between the steel tube and the internal concrete.Increasing the dosage of expansive agents and reducing the curing age both increase the expansive deformation and self-stress of CFST columns.Increasing the tube thickness reduces the expansive deformation and increases the initial self-stress of CFST columns.

Simplified Algorithm for Out-of-Plane Critical Loads of CFST Solid-Rib Arch

The simplified algorithm for out-of-plane ultimate loadcarrying capacity of concrete-filled steel tubular( CFST) solid-rib arches under uniform vertical load was studied. The experimentally validated finite element model was developed. The out-of-plane equivalent length coefficients of solid-rib arches were obtained using out-of-plane elastic eigenvalue buckling analysis. Then the out-ofplane elastic stability coefficient was plotted against the normalized slenderness ratio,and the out-of-plane eigenvalue buckling load or elastic buckling capability of arches was calculated. Lastly effects of different parameters on the out-of-plane ultimate load-carrying capacity of CFST solid-rib arches were determined using geometric and material nonlinear finite element analysis, and a simplified algorithm was established by fitting the out-of-plane elastic-plastic stability coefficient and normalized slenderness ratio using PerryRobertson formula. Ratio of the elastic stability coefficient to the elastic-plastic counterpart was plotted against the out-of-plane normalized slenderness ratio,from which the out-of-plane elasticplastic ultimate load-carrying capacity was determined according to the corresponding elastic buckling load. Results show that the proposed simplified algorithm can accurately predict the out-of-plane eigenvalue buckling load and the elastic-plastic ultimate loadcarrying capacity of the CFST solid-rib arches.

Recent Construction Technology Innovations and Practices for Large-Span Arch Bridges in China

Arch bridges provide significant technical and economic benefits under suitable conditions.In particular,concrete-filled steel tubular(CFST)arch bridges and steel-reinforced concrete(SRC)arch bridges are two types of arch bridges that have gained great economic competitiveness and span growth potential due to advancements in construction technology,engineering materials,and construction equipment over the past 30 years.Under the leadership of the author,two record-breaking arch bridges—that is,the Pingnan Third Bridge(a CFST arch bridge),with a span of 560 m,and the Tian’e Longtan Bridge(an SRC arch bridge),with a span of 600 m—have been built in the past five years,embodying great technological breakthroughs in the construction of these two types of arch bridges.This paper takes these two arch bridges as examples to systematically summarize the latest technological innovations and practices in the construction of CFST arch bridges and SRC arch bridges in China.The technological innovations of CFST arch bridges include cable-stayed fastening-hanging cantilevered assembly methods,new in-tube concrete materials,in-tube concrete pouring techniques,a novel thrust abutment foundation for nonrocky terrain,and measures to reduce the quantity of temporary facilities.The technological innovations of SRC arch bridges involve arch skeleton stiffness selection,the development of encasing concrete materials,encasing concrete pouring,arch rib stress mitigation,and longitudinal reinforcement optimization.To conclude,future research focuses and development directions for these two types of arch bridges are proposed.