Abstract
Many types of structures, or part of which, are directly under the exposure of the time-dependent variations of the temperature of air and solar radiation. Such thermal loads can vary the temperature of the different parts of the structural members causing undesired structural effects. In this research, an experimental study was conducted to investigate the influence of such thermal loads on composite beams. For this purpose, a concrete-encased-steel beam was instrumented with fifteen thermocouples and other sensors. The records were captured for a sunny winter day with moderately high daily air temperature difference of more than 18 oC and a solar radiation of more than 700 W/m2. The results showed that the hourly temperature variation and the sun movement in addition to the altitude angle of sun rays control the vertical and lateral temperature distributions of the beam. The maximum recorded difference between hourly maximum and minimum temperatures of the beam was 12.5 oC.
Highlights
Structures differ among each other according to their function, and the structure should be designed to safely and adequately withstand the different types of applied loads
Several experimental researches were conducted to evaluate the thermal response of concrete beams [2,3,4,5,6,7,8], while other experimental researches were directed to study these effects on steel beams [9,10,11]
The experimental researches that investigate the effect of the atmospheric thermal loads on composite beams are few in the literature [12]
Summary
Structures differ among each other according to their function, and the structure should be designed to safely and adequately withstand the different types of applied loads. Some structures are designed to resist the thermal actions arise from the fluctuation of the atmospheric loads that influence the temperature of its members. The best example of such type of structures is bridges, where most of the superstructure is under continuous influence of the daily fluctuation of the atmospheric thermal loads. The experimental researches that investigate the effect of the atmospheric thermal loads on composite beams are few in the literature [12]. An experimental concrete-encased-steel composite beam was constructed in an open environment to study the thermal response of such type of beams under the atmospheric thermal loads. The experimental results presented in this research can very helpful as a verification tool for numerical investigations on structures including composite steel-concrete sections
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