Search

This paper addresses the design of wide-flange steel members subjected to torsional forces as well as axial forces and moments about their strong and weak axes. The current Canadian steel design standard (CSA S16-01) gives no specific guidance on methodology with respect to torsional design. Codes of other countries (American, British, Australian) provide useful insight but are different in format from the Canadian standard and cannot be used directly in conjunction with it. Specialized second-order finite element programs have the capacity for torsional analysis, but are too complicated and costly to use in design practice. There is, therefore, a need for a practical design method that would allow engineers to account for the effects of torsion simply and accurately. This paper, written by a practicing design engineer, suggests a number of approaches that, subject to discussion and approval by experts in the field, could constitute the basis for design of steel members in torsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2002, the Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) Canada Networks of Centres of Excellence announced its first pedestrian bridge design competition for ISIS students. The bridge is located on the campus of the Université de Sherbrooke to provide a new access to the new east entrance of the Faculty of Engineering Building. The proposed design was required to convey the innovation and ingenuity of the ISIS Canada Research Network through the use of fibre-reinforced-polymer (FRP) materials. Based on these requirements, five graduate students from the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen's University joined forces to produce the winning conceptual design, demonstrating cost-effectiveness, visual stimulation, and innovation. This application paper presents details of the competition and the winning design for the pedestrian bridge as told by the winning design team. The bridge was built during the summer of 2002 at the Université de Sherbrooke. The objective of the paper is to present the student experience from this highly successful competition, and thus to promote similar design competitions for engineering students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of the 2004 Canadian Standards Association (CSA) A23.3 shear design provisions for reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. These methods are similar to the 1994 standard in providing a simplified and general shear design method. They differ from previous standards by providing a direct link between these two methods and simple equations for the calculation of β and θ used in the general method rather than providing these values in a table. The paper explains the basic assumptions behind the new shear provisions, provides a derivation of the new equations, and compares designs made with the new equations to designs obtained from previous standards. In general, the new shear provisions require slightly less shear reinforcement than that required by the previous standard. The new general method is significantly easier to use, particularly with spreadsheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the moment equation in the 2000 Canadian highway bridge design code (CHBDC) for soil–metal arch structures. This equation is adopted from Duncan's moment equation (1978), which is based on his finding from finite element analyses that the maximum moment occurs at the quarter point of soil-metal structures. However, finite element analyses carried out for this study demonstrate that the maximum moment in soil–metal arch structures with spans greater than approximately 11 m occurs at the crown point. In this study, the location and magnitude of the maximum moment was examined for soil–metal arch structures having spans of 6–20 m under three construction stages; backfill up to the crown, backfill up to the cover depth, and live loading. Based on the location of the maximum moment, two sets of moment equations dependant on span length were found necessary. Moment coefficients and moment reduction factors in moment equations are proposed from the results of numerous finite element analyses for semi-circular arch and part-arch types of soil–metal structures considering the various design variables, such as span length, structural shapes, section properties, and backfill conditions. The validity of the coefficients and reduction factors in the moment equation of the 2000 CHBDC is investigated by comparison with those proposed in this study. The comparison demonstrates that the moment equation of the 2000 CHBDC is still valid and a little conservative. The effects of design variables on the variations of moments of soil–metal arch structures during construction stages are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]