Static behavior of semi-rigid thin-walled steel-concrete composite beam-to-column joints with bolted partial-depth flush end plate:experimental study

A new type of semi-rigid thin-walled steel-concrete composite beam-to-column joint has been proposed in this paper.Five semi-rigid composite beam-to-column joint specimens subjected to hogging moments under monotonic loading were tested to study the static behavior of this new type of joint.The main variable parameters for the five joint specimens were the longitudinal reinforcement ratio and the joint type.The experimental results designated that the magnitude of extension of the longitudinal reinforcement is the most important factor that influenced the moment-rotation characteristic of the new type of joint.The concrete slabs could resist 3.8%-19.1% of the total shear load applied to the cross-sections near the beam-to-column connection.The edge stiffened elements,such as the flange of the lipped I-section thin-walled steel beam,were capable of having considerable inelastic deformation capacity although they had comparatively large width-to-thickness ratios.The shear failure of the concrete cantilever edge strip must be taken into account in practical design because it has significant influence on the anchorage of the longitudinal reinforcement in the new type of external joints.

Internal Force Distribution in Steel-Concrete Composite Structure for Pylon of Cable-Stayed Bridge

Adopting a steel-anchor beam and steel corbel composite structure in the anchor zone on pylon is one of the key techniques for the design of Jintang bridge, a cable-stayed bridge in Zhoushan, China. In order to ensure the safety of the steel-concrete composite structure, a stud connector model for the joint section was put forward. Experiments were conducted to obtain the relation between load and slip of specimen, the failure pattern of stud connector, the yield bearing capacity and ultimate bearing capacity of a single stud, etc. The whole process of the structural behavior of the specimen was comprehensively analyzed. The features of the internal force distribution in the steel-concrete composite structure and the strain distribution of stud connector under different loads were emphatically studied. The test results show that the stud connector is applicable for the steel-concrete composite structure for pylon of Jintang bridge. The stud has a good ductility performance and a obvious yield process before its destruction. The stud connector basically works in a state of elasticity under a load less than the yield load.

Measurement and theoretical analysis of solar temperature field in steel-concrete composite girder

The solar temperature field of a large three-span continuous bridge with steel-concrete composite box girder and variable cross-section is measured to verify a calculation method for the temperature field of steel-concrete composite beams. The test results show that the temperature of an external steel web- plate is higher than that of an internal web-plate due to the difference in solar radiation. Air temperature inside the box matches the average temperature of the whole steel box. Based on actual measurements, a transient thermal analysis with multiple boundary conditions is also carried out by a software program ANSYS. Convective boundary situation and states of solar radiation on steel web plates in different situations are determined in the analysis. The feature of the temperature field is preliminarily achieved through a comparative study between the actual measurement and the finite element analysis. The computed results are in good consistence with the actual measurement results, with the maximum difference within 2 ℃. This indicates that the theoretical calculation method is reliable and it provides a foundation for further research on temperature field distribution in the steel-concrete composite box girder.

Human Comfort Evaluation of a Steel-Concrete Composite Building Subjected to Aerobics

The current steel-concrete composite floors design might be susceptible to the resonance phenomenon, causing undesirable vibrations in the frequency range that is the most noticeable to humans, i.e., 4 Hz to 8 Hz. This way, the main objective of this work is to investigate the dynamic structural behaviour of a steel-concrete composite multi-storey building when subjected to human rhythmic activities （aerobics）. The studied structural model represents a typical interior floor bay of a commercial building used for gym and is composed by three floor levels spanning 20 m by 20 m, with a total area of 3×400 m2. An extensive parametric study was developed aiming to obtain the peak accelerations, RMS （root mean square） accelerations and VDV （vibration dose value） values, based on two different mathematical formulations. The human comfort of the building was analysed and the vibration transmissibility related to the steel columns was verified. Based on the found results, the investigated structural model presented high vibration levels that compromise the human comfort.

Flexural stiffness characterization of the corrugated steel-concrete composite structure for tunnel projects

Corrugated steel–concrete(CSC)composite structures are increasingly used in tunnel and culvert projects due to their good mechanical properties.The design of CSC composite structures is often governed by deflection limits in service,hence it becomes crucial to evaluate accurately their flexural stiffness.In this work,the deflection deformation mechanism of CSC composite structure is studied by experimental and numerical methods,and a simplified formula for calculating the flexural stiffness is established.In addition,the deflection results obtained by different methods are compared and analyzed.It is found that:(1)the flexural stiffness of the CSC composite structure is constant only when the load is small,and after the bending moment exceeds a certain value,the flexural stiffness will gradually become smaller as the bending moment increases.(2)The value of the bending moment corresponding to the end of the elastic stage of the bending moment-deflection curve increases with the increase of the axial force in the composite structure.(3)As the axial force of the composite structure increases,the flexural bearing capacity of the structure increases first and then decreases.

Deployment analysis of composite thin-walled lenticular tubes with effect of storage time and temperature

Composite Thin-walled Lenticular Tube(CTLT)is increasingly utilized in small satellites missions as a lightweight,foldable,and rollable structural material that facilitates the construction of large deployable systems.The CTLT is initially flattened and coiled around a central hub for storage before launch,during which elastic energy is stored as deformation energy,allowing it to be self-deployed on demand for use in orbit.This work presents a comprehensive investigation into the coiling,storage and deployment behaviors of CTLT that wraps around a central hub.A nonlinear explicit dynamic finite element model was developed with both deformable CTLT and rigidbodies mechanisms including the central hub and guide rollers,as well as the complex interactions among them.The coiling mechanics characteristics such as stored strain energy and rotational moment were presented and validated against experimental data in the literature.Then,the dynamic deployment behaviors were analyzed in terms of two different deployment methods,namely,controlled deployment and free deployment.The effect of material property change during storage was also discussed through numerical experiments.

Research review on steel–concrete composite joint of railway hybrid girder cable-stayed bridges

Purpose–This study aims to research the development trend,research status,research results and existing problems of the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder cable-stayed bridge.Design/methodology/approach–Based on the investigation and analysis of the development history,structure form,structural parameters,stress characteristics,shear connector stress state,force transmission mechanism,and fatigue performance,aiming at the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder cable-stayed bridge,the development trend,research status,research results and existing problems are expounded.Findings–The shear-compression composite joint has become the main form in practice,featuring shortened length and simplified structure.The length of composite joints between 1.5 and 3.0 m has no significant effect on the stress and force transmission laws of the main girder.The reasonable thickness of the bearing plate is 40–70 mm.The calculation theory and simplified calculation formula of the overall bearing capacity,the nonuniformity and distribution laws of the shear connector,the force transferring ratio of steel and concrete components,the fatigue failure mechanism and structural parameters effects are the focus of the research study.Originality/value–This study puts forward some suggestions and prospects for the structural design and theoretical research of the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder cable-stayed bridge.

Influence of Random Track Irregularities on Dynamic Response of Bridge/Track Structure/High-Speed Train Systems

Random vertical track irregularities are one of essential vibration sources in bridge, track structure and high-speed train systems. The common model of such irregularities is a stationary and ergodic Gaussian process. The study presents the results of numerical dynamic analysis of advanced virtual models of composite BTT （bridge/ballasted track structure/high-speed train） systems. The analysis has been conducted for a series of types of single-span simply-supported railway composite （steel-concrete） bridges, with a symmetric platform, located on lines with ballasted track structure adapted for high-speed trains. The bridges are designed according to Polish bridge standards. A new methodology of numerical modeling and simulation of dynamic processes in BTT systems has been applied. The methodology takes into consideration viscoelastic suspensions of rail-vehicles, nonlinear Hertz wheel-rail contact stiffness and one-side wheel-rail contact, physically nonlinear elastic-damping properties of the track structure, random vertical track irregularities, approach slabs and other features. Computer algorithms of FE （finite element） modeling and simulation were programmed in Delphi. Both static and dynamic numerical investigations of the bridges forming the series of types have been carried out. It has been proved that in the case of common structural solutions of bridges and ballasted track structures, it is necessary to put certain limitations on operating speeds, macadam ballast and vertical track roughness.

Identification of Connection Flexibility Effects Based on Load Testing of a Steel-Concrete Bridge

In the case of composite girders, an effective cooperation of both parts of the section is influenced by deformability of connectors. Limited flexural stiffness of welded studs, used commonly in bridge structures, does not provide full interaction of a steel beam and a concrete slab. This changes strain distribution in cross-sections of a composite girder and results in redistribution of internal forces in steel and concrete element. In the paper partial interaction index defined on the basis of a neutral axis position, which can be used for verification of steel-concrete interaction in real bridge structures rather than in specimens is proposed. The range of the index value changes, obtained during load testing of a typical steel-concrete composite beam bridge, is presented. The investigation was carried out on a motorway viaduct, consisting of two parallel structures. During the testing values of strains in girders under static and quasi-static loads were measured. The readings from the gauges were used to determine the index, characterizing composite action of the girders. Results of bridge testing under movable load, changing position along the bridge span is presented and obtained in-situ influence functions of strains and index values are commented in the paper.

Elastic buckling analysis and optimization of thin-walled bamboo-like pipe beam subjected to pure bending

In this paper,a stiffening design imitating the bamboo node is proposed for weight reduction of the long composite pipe beam subjected to bending load.The distribution of bamboo nodes can efficiently suppress the ovalization of the section,thus significantly improving the bending resistance of the bamboo.Based on this principle,ring stiffeners are proposed to be fixed to the pipe beam,making the long beam equivalent to the combination of a series of short pipes that suffered less section ovalization.A database of the optimal laminate orientations for different normalized lengths is obtained through optimizations,where the discreteness of the ply count is considered.Based on this database,weight optimizations are conducted,and the optimal designs of beams with and without stiffeners are obtained and compared.The comparison results show that the proposed bamboo-like stiffened beam not only regains a near-linear load–displacement relationship,but also reduces the weight by up to 16%under the same buckling load.In addition,it is found that for the pipe beams with radius-to-thickness ratios of more than 18,increasing the radius leads to a decrease in elastic buckling resistance when the weight remains a constant,which is opposite to the design for strength and stiffness.The model and database developed in this paper can provide a reference for weight reduction design and weight estimation for composite pipe beams.

Parametric study on contact sensors for MASW measurement-based interfacial debonding detection for SCCS

Steel-concrete composite structures(SCCS)have been widely used as primary load-bearing components in large-scale civil infrastructures.As the basis of the co-working ability of steel plate and concrete,the bonding status plays an essential role in guaranteeing the structural performance of SCCS.Accordingly,efficient non-destructive testing(NDT)on interfacial debondings in SCCS has become a prominent research area.Multi-channel analysis of surface waves(MASW)has been validated as an effective NDT technique for interfacial debonding detection for SCCS.However,the feasibility of MASW must be validated using experimental measurements.This study establishes a high-frequency data synchronous acquisition system with 32 channels to perform comparative verification experiments in depth.First,the current sensing approaches for high-frequency vibration and stress waves are summarized.Secondly,three types of contact sensors,namely,piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate(PZT)patches,accelerometers,and ultrasonic transducers,are selected for MASW measurement.Then,the selection and optimization of the force hammer head are performed.Comparative experiments are carried out for the optimal selection of ultrasonic transducers,PZT patches,and accelerometers for MASW measurement.In addition,the influence of different pasting methods on the output signal of the sensor array is discussed.Experimental results indicate that optimized PZT patches,acceleration sensors,and ultrasonic transducers can provide efficient data acquisition for MASW-based non-destructive experiments.The research findings in this study lay a solid foundation for analyzing the recognition accuracy of contact MASW measurement using different sensor arrays.

Recent progress of seismic research on tall buildings in China Mainland

As a result of rapid economic growth and urbanization in the past two decades,many tall buildings have been constructed in China Mainland,offering researchers and practitioners an excellent opportunity for research and practice in the field of structural engineering. This paper reviews progress by researchers throughout China Mainland on the seismic research of tall buildings,focusing on three major topics that impact the seismic performance of tall buildings. These are:(1) new types of steel-concrete composite structural members such as steel-concrete composite shear walls and columns,(2) earthquake resilient shear wall structures such as shear walls with replaceable structural components,self-centering shear walls and rocking walls,and(3) performance-based seismic design,including seismic performance index,performance level and design method. The paper concludes by presenting future research needs and directions in this field.

Ductility and Ultimate Capacity of Concrete-Filled Lattice Rectangular Steel Tube Columns

A kind of concrete-filled lattice rectangular steel tube(CFLRST)column was put forward.The numerical simulation was modeled to analyze the mechanical characteristic of CFLRST column.By comparing the load-deformation curves from the test results,the rationality and reliability of the finite element model has been confirmed,moreover,the change of the section stiffness and stress in the forcing process and the ultimate bearing capacity of the column were analyzed.Based on the model,the comparison of ultimate bearing capacity and ductility between CFLRST column and reinforced concrete(RC)column were also analyzed.The results of the finite element analysis show that the loading process of CFLRST column consists of elastic stage,yield stage and failure stage.The failure modes are mainly strength failure and failure of elastoplastic instability.CFLRST column has higher bearing capacities in comparison with reinforced concrete columns with the same steel ratio.In addition,the stiffness degeneration of CFLRST column is slower than RC column and CFLRST column has good ductility.

Function-Integrative Textile Reinforced Concrete Shells

This paper presents the development and technological implementation of textile reinforced concrete (TRC) shells with integrated functions, such as illumination and light control. In that regard the establishment of material, structural and technological foundations along the entire value chain are of central importance: From the light-weight design idea to the demonstrator and reference object, to the technological implementation for the transfer of the research results into practice. The development of the material included the requirement-oriented composition of a high-strength fine grained concrete with an integrated textile reinforcement, such as carbon knitted fabrics. Innovations in formwork solutions provide new possibilities for concrete constructions. So, a bionic optimized shape of the pavilion was developed, realized by four connected TRC-lightweight-shells. The thin-walled TRC-shells were manufactured with a formwork made of glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP). An advantage of the GFRP-formwork is the freedom of design concerning the formwork shape. Moreover, an excellent concrete quality can be achieved, while the production of the precast concrete components is simple and efficient simultaneously. After the production the new TRC-shells were installed and assembled on the campus of TU-Chemnitz. A special feature of the research pavilions are the LED light strips integrated in the shell elements, providing homogeneous illumination.

Vibration Analysis and Fatigue Assessment of Floors.Part II:Mechanical Equipment

Floors subjected to mechanical equipment loads frequently present problems associated with excessive vibration which can cause human discomfort or even reduce the structure service life.In this context,this work aims to develop an analysis methodology in order to assess the fatigue performance of steel-concrete composite floors,when subjected to vibrations induced by mechanical equipment.The studied structural model corresponds to a steel-concrete composite floor spanning 10 m by 10 m,with a total area of 100 m^(2).The numerical model developed for the dynamic analysis adopted the usual mesh refinement techniques present in finite element method(FEM)simulations implemented in the ANSYS program.The investigated floor dynamic response was calculated through the consideration of the dynamic loadings imposed by the mechanical equipment,simulated based on the use of harmonic forces applied on the concrete slabs.Furthermore,the dynamic structural response was performed considering several scenarios for the positioning of the equipment,in order to verify the occurrence of excessive vibration.The fatigue assessment is based on a linear cumulative damage rule through the use of the Rainflow-counting algorithm and S-N curves from traditional design codes.The results of this investigation indicated that the equipment position affects directly the floor dynamic structural response and also significantly influences the structure service life.