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T‐stubs and L‐stubs loaded in tension are generally assumed in contact with a rigid foundation. The prying force and stiffness of these components depend on this hypothesis. For double web angle riveted connections, the angle rests on deformable beam/column web. The objective of the present paper is to take into account the effects of this deformability on the development of the contact area, the rivet forces and the tensile stiffness. An enhanced theory of beam in contact with a tensionless Winkler foundation is adopted in the contact and lift‐off areas. The axial and bending flexibilities of rivets are also considered. A numerical analysis is also performed with ANSYS in order to validate the analytical model. A sensitivity study is conducted on the influence of the thickness of the horizontal leg. The analytical and the numerical results are in good agreement, which confirms the accuracy of the proposed mechanical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a design‐oriented method for a simplified prediction of the vibrational response of regular floors induced by crowd‐rhythmic activities. The method is based on a frequency domain load model, along with the stochastic vibration theory. An application of the method is illustrated on an existing steel‐concrete composite floor belonging to an open‐plan office, with a total area of about 385m2. Four rhythmic activities with experimentally identified load parameters are investigated. The individuals performing these activities are assumed to be uniformly distributed over the floor, with their numbers ranging between 1 and 64. The prediction of the floor response reveals that the floor presents tolerable levels of acceleration for up to 16 persons in general, while remedial measures should be undertaken to reduce the response of the floor subjected to larger crowd sizes. The proposed method might represent a first step in the development of the floor serviceability assessment for vibration comfort in the forthcoming editions of Eurocodes for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stiffness of T‐stubs in compression is generally assumed infinite except for column base plates. For bolted circular flange connections and double web angle connections, the stiffness of L‐stubs and T‐stubs in compression should be determined to accurately calculate the position of the center of compression. Simple expressions have been recently proposed for these components in contact with a rigid foundation. However, the end‐plate can be in contact with a flexible foundation. The objective of the present paper is to propose simple expressions of the compressive stiffness of L‐stubs in contact with rigid or flexible foundations. A refined beam model resting on Winkler foundations is derived and applied to the L‐stub model. To facilitate the practice of engineering, simplifications are proposed for the contact pressure distribution and the compressive stiffness. The analytical results are then compared against finite element calculations performed with ANSYS APDL [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In practice, welded I‐members of steel buildings are usually made of flanges that are either wide hot‐rolled plates, or plates longitudinally divided using flame‐cuts. The residual stresses distributions resulting from both types of fabrication process are substantially different. However, the Eurocode 3 buckling design resistance of a welded I‐member in compression assumes hot‐rolled flanges, thus neglecting the beneficial impact of flame‐cuts. A parametric study is then performed regarding the out‐of‐plane flexural buckling of welded members made of flame‐cut flanges. 377 doubly symmetric members either with a uniform or a tapered cross‐section are studied. These numerical results are firstly employed to evaluate the safety and accuracy of the Eurocode 3 rules for such members by computing partial factors. The current rules proving overly conservative, two proposals are made for welded columns made of flame‐cut flanges. A first simple proposal suggests a more favorable buckling curve. A second proposal introduces an imperfection factor depending on the cross‐sectional height‐to‐width ratio. Partial factors computed for both proposals are satisfactory, the second proposal being more precise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eurocode 3 design rules for the lateral stability of welded I‐members are based on the assumption of hot‐rolled flanges. In practice, a large amount of welded I‐section members is made of flame cut flanges. However, residual stresses of hot‐rolled and flame‐cut flanges are quite different. The latter are more favourable with respect to out‐of‐plane buckling. The beneficial effect of flame‐cuts commonly performed at the flanges tips is then neglected in design standards. A literature review of lateraltorsional buckling tests on welded I‐members with flame‐cut flanges highlights a scarcity of results on mono‐symmetric and/or non‐uniform members. In addition, tests are generally performed on stocky cross‐sections while welded members are usually slender. Lateral‐torsional buckling tests have thus been conducted on four S355 slender welded members made of flame‐cut flanges: two uniform beams and two tapered beams. Within both couples of beams, one had a doubly symmetric cross‐section, the other one being mono‐symmetric. Experimental results highlight the impact of tapering and/or increasing the compression flange thickness whatever the beam type. These experimental tests are then modelled with shell finite elements considering imperfections, residual stresses and material laws measured experimentally. The results are in good agreement with experimental tests. Additional finite element analyses are performed varying the residual stresses distribution. A significant impact of the flange fabrication process is confirmed, flame‐cuts increasing substantially the lateral‐torsional buckling resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As thin walled HSS columns are very flexible, they usually exhibit excessive deformation when resisting a bending moment or transverse loads. Adding exterior/interior diaphragms is one way to remedy the problem. Another option that can significantly increase strength and stiffness is to allow passing plates through the hollow column by means of Laser Cutting Technology (LCT). This solution was tested on CHS columns within the RFCS LASTEICON project. The first outcomes were promising. One of LASTTS new RFCS project's overarching concerns is to enlarge the range of application of the passing‐through solution onto SHS columns. The goal of this research paper is to present the behaviour of I‐beam‐to‐SHS column moment resisting joints using passing‐through plates under opposite bending moments. First, a solid‐based finite element model is presented. This model is used to conduct a sensitivity analysis with different SHS column and passing plates geometry. The failure mode is resulting contribution of both weld/tube‐wall tearing in tension, and chord face crushing in compression. Analytical models are developed in an attempt to ascertain the bending resistance and initial rotational stiffness of this new type of connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional I‐beam‐to‐SHS‐column moment resisting connections are generally stiffened with external diaphragms in order to limit excessive deformation of the tube‐wall. Passing through plates welded to the tube is an alternative solution that can develop significant strength and stiffness. This solution has been applied to CHS column and initial findings from RFCS project LASTEICON were encouraging. RHS columns are also widely used in practice due to simplicity of connections manufacturing. The new RFCS project LASTTS aims to investigate the application of this technique of passing through plates to SHS columns using laser cutting technology. The objective of this paper is to present the behaviour of I‐beam‐to‐SHS column moment resisting joints using passing‐through plates under equal hogging bending moments. A finite element model using brick elements is firstly presented. This model is used to perform a sensitivity analysis varying passing through plates thicknesses as well as SHS column dimensions. The failure mode is caused by the flange plate buckling inside the tube. Analytical models are developed to determine the bending resistance and initial rotational stiffness of these connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residual stress distribution influences substantially the stability behavior of steel members. Its shape, directly impacted by the fabrication process, is very different in hot‐rolled and welded members. Among welded members, flame‐cut flanges and hot‐rolled flanges are commonly employed in practice. However, buckling curves of Eurocode 3 are based on experimental tests and numerical simulations performed on welded members having hot‐rolled flanges only and lead to conservative results comparatively to the previous French design standards but also to hot‐rolled members. Investigations are strongly needed to adapt the existing buckling curves to welded members using flame‐cut flanges and a first step is to estimate the residual stress distribution in such members. The results available in the literature dealing with residual stresses measurements in welded members with flame‐cut flanges investigate stocky profiles that can be far from common practice, welded members being preferably slender sections. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign on residual stresses performed on eight slender welded members varying the flange width and thickness as well as the flange type : hot‐rolled or flame‐cut. The measurements were performed using the sectioning method. A new model for residual stress distribution in welded I‐section members with flame‐cut flanges is then proposed based on these tests results and existing data from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In practice, the elastic lateral‐torsional buckling of doubly symmetric I‐section steel members is analyzed assuming free warping at supports. However, welded stiffeners, bolted end‐plate connections or column base plates maintain elastically the opposite flange out‐of‐plane rotations and thus induce substantial warping restraints. This paper proposes analytical formulations for the evaluation of the elastic critical bending moment for lateral‐torsional buckling of beams taking into account warping restraints at supports. Assuming series of displacement and rotation fields containing one or two terms, the energy method permits to derive expressions of the critical bending moment under constant and linear distribution of the bending moment. A single expression of the warping coefficient kw is proposed whatever the shape of the bending moment diagram. The factor C1 can be conveniently calculated by multiplying two coefficients that depend on the shape of the bending moment diagram and on the warping restraint stiffness, respectively. Finite Elements analyses of beams with warping restraints at supports have been performed considering a beam element model developed with LTBeamN and a shell element model created in ANSYS. The analytical model is in good agreement with the numerical results obtained by the two finite element models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the lateral–torsional buckling of elastoplastic steel beams under pure bending considering various cross-section geometries. Critical buckling moment expressions for elastic beams are well documented. In contrast, less attention has been devoted to the lateral–torsional buckling phenomenon in elastoplastic regime. When considering short beams (with sufficiently low slenderness), plastic zones will develop before buckling occurs. The problem being faced here is however much more complex than the classical problem of an elastoplastic beam subjected to an axial compressive force. Under such loading, plasticity occurs instantaneously and evolves uniformly over the cross-section and along the beam length whereas, in the other case, plasticity will spread gradually and the plastic zones will change with the loading. The main objective of the present paper is to develop original analytical solutions for the elastoplastic lateral–torsional buckling of perfectly straight beams. A general formulation based on a previously developed 3D plastic bifurcation theory is first proposed and then applied to the cases of two specific cross-section geometries, namely rectangular and I profiles. For the sake of simplicity, transverse shear strains are neglected in the analysis. The von Mises yield criterion with a linear isotropic hardening is adopted. In the case of a rectangular cross-section, closed-form solutions are obtained for the elastoplastic critical buckling moment, which is shown to depend on the geometric and material parameters of the beam, including the yield stress. For validation purposes, all the analytical solutions are compared against the results of numerical computations performed with an in-house program based on a shell finite element formulation. Analytical and numerical results are in very good accordance, making the analytical method presented here an efficient and precise tool to analyze the elastoplastic lateral–torsional buckling phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]