An equivalent spring model for seam-clip connections of high-vertical standing seam metal cladding systems

Abstract

The mechanical behavior of the seam-clip connections plays a pivotal role in the effective wind resistance design of the extensively used high vertical standing seam metal cladding system (SSMCS). An equivalent spring model is developed to represent the mechanical behavior of these connections to simplify the contact problems in the general finite element model, which is time-consuming due to the highly nonlinear contact boundary conditions. The developed model is composed of continuous horizontal and rotational springs as well as dispersed vertical rigid connections. A series of tensile experiments are first conducted to investigate the mechanical behavior of seam-clip connections to calibrate the spring parameters in the developed model. Subsequently, the equivalent spring model is validated by the structural response of a double-span sheet module (DSSM) using experimental investigation and finite element analyses. It is found that the shell finite element model incorporating the developed equivalent spring model can achieve an acceptable structural response while remarkably reducing memory requirements and computational time to about 0.3 % and 0.4 ‰, correspondingly, compared to the contact boundary condition analysis. It highlights the advancement in evaluating the structural response of high-vertical SSMCS in practical engineering applications using this developed model. Furthermore, the developed equivalent spring model has proved to be effective in predicting wind-induced seam-clip pullout failures according to the established failure criteria derived from the structural response of the system.