Longitudinal Stiffeners Research Articles

Design of the cross‐section of a steel composite bridge taking into account the buckling check according to EN 1993‐1‐5

AbstractAs part of optimizing a steel composite section to determine whether longitudinal stiffeners could be omitted concerning plate buckling, a buckling tool was developed that implements both the effective width method (EWM) and the reduced stress method (RSM). These two methods are offered in addition to the finite element method in EN 1993‐1‐5 for buckling analysis. It was found that when using the formula given in EN‐1993‐1‐5 for calculating the critical buckling stress of unstiffened buckling fields, which is independent of the acting stress distribution, the ratio of the elastic critical plate buckling stress to the elastic critical column buckling stress (σcr,p/σcr,c) is underestimated if the compressive stress is not uniform. This affects the detection of column buckling behavior. The most economical variant resulting from the optimization, the buckling tool, the influence of shear deformations combined with plate buckling, and the column buckling behavior of unstiffened buckling fields are presented in this paper.

Determining the effect of longitudinal stiffeners on the deformation of multilayer ellipsoidal shells under non-stationary loads

The object of this study is the deformation of multilayer ellipsoidal shells under non-stationary distributed load. It is proposed to reinforce the shell with longitudinal stiffeners to enhance the strength of it. The application of Timoshenko's theory of shells and cores enabled the investigation of the influence of longitudinal stiffeners on the deformation of multilayer ellipsoidal shells under non-stationary loads with the discrete positioning of the stiffeners. A mathematical model of shell oscillations under various types of short-term non-stationary loads was based on the Hamilton-Ostrogradsky variational principle. The numerical algorithm based on the application of the integral-interpolation approach to the construction of finite difference schemes in spatial coordinates, combined with an explicit finite-difference scheme for the time coordinate, was used to solve the task set. It has been determined that reinforcing stiffeners significantly affect the deformed state of the multilayer ellipsoidal shell. The "shell-stiffeners" relation was taken into account as a base for research. The maximum deformation ε11 of the smooth three-layer ellipsoidal shell was on average 1.4 times greater than the deformation ε11 of the reinforced three-layer ellipsoidal shell throughout the entire studied time interval. It was determined that over time the presence of reinforcing stiffeners has a more significant impact on the deformed state of the reinforced ellipsoidal shell. A distinctive feature of this research is the consideration of the discrete placement of reinforcing stiffeners which made it possible to investigate the impact of longitudinal stiffeners on the deformation of multilayer ellipsoidal shells under non-stationary loads. The results could be used for the investigation of applied problems in research organizations and design bureaus when designing shell structures

Performance of Composite Steel-Concrete Beam with Stiffener next to Web Opening

Abstract Openings are provided in Composite steel-concrete beams (CB) for the allowance of ducts and pipes, which generally reduces the beam's flexural performance. So, to retain the strength of these beams, stiffeners are introduced adjacent to the web openings. Hence, a numerical study is performed to evaluate the influence of the stiffeners next to web openings through finite element analysis (FEA) software ABAQUS v6.14. Three different shapes of openings with three different placements of stiffeners are considered for the study, namely circular, rectangular, and triangular openings with stiffeners along longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal directions. As revealed from the findings of FEA, comparisons are made based on the ultimate load, stiffness, and stress distribution. From comparisons, it is found that double-sided longitudinal and transverse stiffeners next to the circle opening are comparable to conventional CB. Similarly, Diagonal stiffeners increase strength in rectangular and triangle openings. Transverse stiffeners failed to increase load capacity and decrease stress concentration compared to other longitudinal and diagonal stiffeners. Further validation for the finite element results is done using the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm, using the backpropagation variant technique of Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The results of ANN, i.e., Mean Square Error (MSE) and Multiple Determination Coefficient (R2), are above 0.9 and below 1, respectively. Thus, the results of ANN indicate that the provided results are perfectly fit for predicting with the ANN technique.

Experiment and Analysis of a Hybrid Composite Post-tension Plate Girder

Steel plate girders have been employed as structural bridge parts since the 19th century. They are typically made up of built-up sections in the shape of I-beams. Web and flange plates withstand shear force and bending moment, respectively. However, plate girders are vulnerable to shear buckling. Shear buckling resistance is increased by adding reinforced vertical stiffeners and, in some cases, longitudinal stiffeners. Nevertheless, these stiffeners are sometimes not enough to prevent extreme shear buckling and only delay the shear buckling of slender web panels. This study investigated a hybrid composite post-tension (HCPt) plate girder by experiment and finite element (FE) analysis. The structural performance of the HCPt plate girder was tested using three specimens: a double-web plate girder, an in-fill concrete double-web plate girder and an in-fill concrete double-web plate girder with prestress. Results showed that the steel web filled with concrete presented preferable strength and behaviour to the hollow steel web because of the concrete in-fill. It had high load capacity, strength and ductility. The concrete in-fill prevented the steel web plate from buckling, and beams generally failed in a ductile manner. Applying prestressing techniques reduced deflection under external loads, increased the load-carrying capacity and enhanced its flexural behaviour by 126% compared to the double web plate girder. The failure mode was changed from web shear buckling in a double web girder to bending in a hybrid composite plate girder, with an improvement of web shear buckling by 88%. The FE analysis result showed excellent consistency with the experimental result.

Serviceability limit state of incrementally launched steel bridge I-girders

Bridge girders are subjected to repeated patch loading during incremental launching (i.e. travelling over supports). Plastic deformations are likely to occur in the girder already at the first patch loading. They influence the girder’s structural response and bring about a decrease in the ultimate resistance at subsequent patch loadings. This problem is analysed in the present paper through the serviceability limit state (SLS) of incrementally launched bridge I-girders (ILBGs). The SLS of ILBGs is a current problem since only a few studies, with contrasting conclusions and certain limitations, have been recognised in the literature. Research is limited on plate girders without longitudinal stiffeners made of structural steel. Flat slide-type launching shoes are considered in this paper.The serviceability requirement (repeatable behaviour of ILBGs) and criterion (that effective membrane strains should remain in the elastic range) are adopted from the literature. So, the serviceability resistance is adopted as a load at the start of the effective membrane plastic strains in the girder. In order to propose a practical and simple SLS design procedure, the serviceability resistance is normalised against the ultimate resistance, so a serviceability correction factor (ksls) is defined. The paper presents a parametric numerical analysis of the factor (ksls). A finite element model previously developed and validated by the author is employed to simulate a nonlinear response of patch-loaded girders. The parametric study includes 599 girders. ksls is inversely proportional to the web thickness and directly proportional to the flange thickness and the yield strength of the steel material. The load length, web depth and flange width do not influence ksls. The influence of the spacing between transverse stiffeners on ksls is negligible. Finally, by regression analysis of the results of parametric study, an original and reliable serviceability correction factor is proposed as the main objective of the research. The range when the SLS of ILBGs should be checked is also defined.

Local buckling of the bottom flange in steel-concrete composite beams with trapezoidal corrugated webs subjected to end restraint at high temperatures

Steel-concrete composite beams with trapezoidal corrugated webs (SCBCW) are prone to rapid failure at high temperatures due to local instability of the bottom flange. The failure mechanism of SCBCW, which is an integral part of the holistic structure and subject to axial and rotational restraints from adjacent members at elevated temperatures, differs from conventionally simply supported steel-concrete composite beams with straight webs. To investigate the evolution of local buckling in the compressed flange of SCBCW under high temperature conditions, a composite beam model with frame restraints was developed using ABAQUS finite element software. In this model, the composite beam is connected to restraint frame columns through high-strength bolts. The changes in axial stress, bending moment, and deflection of the compressed flange of SCBCW were analyzed as temperature increased. Results indicate that at elevated temperatures, additional bending moments occur in the flange plane due to axial restraints, section temperature gradients, section negative bending moments and accordion effect caused by corrugated web on compressed bottom flange of SCBCW. This leads to a gradual increase in axial compressive stress before local buckling occurs followed by a decrease due to internal force redistribution upon onset of buckling. Studies show that initial buckling of bottom flange occurs on one side of flat section of web where axial compressive stress is relatively high while restraint effect on web is low; Subsequent local buckling of the beam then appears on opposite side adjacent flat section of web after initial buckle occure on one side. After local buckling appears on both sides of web tension bands appear on both sides where bottom flange experiences localized bucking. The setting of longitudinal stiffeners (LS) can effectively improve the local stability of the bottom flange of the composite beam, while the setting of transverse stiffeners (TS) has no significant impact.

Structural Analysis of Deck Reinforcement on Composite Yacht for Crane Installation

The crane installation on the deck of a yacht redistributes the stress field and affects the local structural integrity and performance. The safe operation of the yacht is associated with the optimal placement of the crane on the deck and the proper local structural reinforcement. Here, the structural analysis of the bow part of a yacht made of composite materials is studied, considering the retrofit installation of a crane, in three different cases of reinforcing the deck: (a) without any reinforcement, (b) with a T-type reinforcement, and finally, (c) with a longitudinal beam. The T-type connects the longitudinal bulkhead and the deck, reinforced locally with overlamination skin and adhesive-filler. The longitudinal beam works as a local longitudinal stiffener attached to the deck and connects the second, third, and fourth transverse frames. The structural analysis is performed using the finite element method following the classification societies’ rules. The local reinforcements are made from the same composite materials as the unreinforced deck. The maximum deformations, the principal stresses, and the safety factors following Tsai-Wu and Hashin criteria are calculated and compared for the three different cases. The T-type and longitudinal reinforcements reduce deck stresses by 33%, with longitudinal reinforcement reducing deck deformation by 17%. Composite failure analysis shows the structure was near failure, and the reinforcements enhance safety; T-type is better for multiaxial loads (Tsai-Wu), and longitudinal is superior for micromechanical failure (Hashin). By considering the structural performance and safety aspects, designers and engineers can make optimal decisions regarding yacht crane installation and proper reinforcement, leading to safer and more efficient structures.

Compressive behaviour and design of tapered lightweight concrete-filled double-skin stiffened steel tubular short columns with large hollow ratio

Tapered concrete-filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) members, due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and inherent spatial advantages, hold significant prospect in marine structures, such as ocean platforms and wind turbine tower. As the height and span of the column continue to increase, its weight and local buckling problems begin to emerge and become the main concerns of engineering design. To address this issue, lightweight concrete instead of normal concrete and tapered steel tubes with longitudinal stiffeners are adopted. As a result, a novel composite member, called tapered lightweight concrete-filled double-skin stiffened steel tubular short columns with large hollow ratio (LHRTL-CFDSST), is developed by the authors. In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the axial compression behavior of LHRTL-CFDSST members and provide an axial strength model, this study conducted axial compression tests on ten LHRTL-CFDSST short columns, investigating key parameters such as hollow ratio, longitudinal stiffeners and diameter-to-thickness ratio. The results indicated that both larger hollow ratio sections and diameter-to-thickness ratios tend to reduce the axial compressive strength and the ductility of such members, while the effect of the longitudinal stiffeners are opposite. Based on the test results, finite element (FE) model was developed and validated, and was then to conduct the mechanical analysis of the studied members, followed by a parametric study. Finally, a novel method for predicting the axial compressive strength of LHRTL-CFDSST short columns, applicable across a wide range of parameters, was proposed.

Bending behavior and design of tapered lightweight CFDSST with large hollow ratio

Given the tremendous potential of tapered lightweight concrete-filled double-skin stiffened steel tubular members with large hollow ratio in engineering structures, such as building structures and wind turbine tower, the bending behavior of these members, distinguished by their large hollow ratio, lightweight concrete fill, and longitudinal stiffeners, was the focus of this study. Eleven specimens were tested under four-point bending loading. The failure modes, deflection curve distributions, moment-deflection curves, and strain development of specimens were discussed. The results indicate that the maximum deformation of the specimens is located near the smaller section in the constant moment region. Cracking was observed in the tension side concrete, and the outer edge of the compression side concrete was crushed. The validated finite element model was used for mechanical analysis and parametric study, where the stress development process in the member and the influence of parameters such as hollow ratio, steel tube diameter-to-thickness ratio, material strength, and tapered angle on the bending strength of the member were explained and discussed. Based on the results of experimental and numerical analyses, a novel method for predicting the bending strength was proposed. This method was shown to accurately predict the bending strength of concrete-filled double-skin steel tubular members.

Finite Element Analysis on the Seismic Performance of Concrete-Filled Steel Tube Columns with a Multiple-Chamber Round-Ended Cross-Section

This study proposes a form of concrete-filled steel tube column with a multiple-chamber round-ended cross-section (M-CFST). Longitudinal and transverse stiffening ribs divide the circular-ended section into different chambers, strengthening the steel tube’s confinement effect on the core concrete and improving the component’s seismic performance. A three-dimensional finite element (FE) solid model of the M-CFST is created by employing the FE software ABAQUS. Quasi-static analysis is conducted to investigate the influence of parameters, such as chamber arrangement, aspect ratio, and axial compression ratio, on flexural hysteresis performance. Moreover, the failure modes, hysteresis curves, skeleton curves, strain development, and energy dissipation of the components are analyzed. The results show the following: (1) The FE model presented in this study can simulate the quasi-static behavior of CFST columns accurately, and the calculated results are in good agreement with the measured values. (2) The seismic performance of the composite column is excellent, with a large number of chambers leading to a robust hysteresis curve for the composite columns, resulting in increased bearing capacity and energy dissipation capacity. However, the energy dissipation performance of the specimen with a two-chamber arrangement is slightly lower than that with a single-chamber arrangement. (3) The results of the finite element analysis suggest that the long and short sides of the CFST columns with a large length–width ratio should be arranged to be relatively close in length.

Confinement-based design and behaviour of concrete-filled stiffened steel tubular square slender columns

This paper presents the details, analysis and results of an investigation into the compressive behaviour of concrete-filled stiffened steel tubular (CFSST) slender columns. These are members comprising an outer steel section with longitudinal stiffeners welded to the interior surface. A finite element (FE) model was developed and validated. An improvement in ultimate strength compared to conventional concrete-filled steel tubular column has been found due to the presence of stiffeners that reduce the width-to-thickness ratio of the steel tube, which in turn increases the effective cross-sectional area of the steel tube. Moreover, it was found that stiffeners increase the lateral confining pressure on the concrete. FE modelling was then employed to conduct a thorough parametric study to investigate the influence of a wide range of parameters. These included the slenderness ratio, concrete compressive strength, as well as the geometry and details of the stiffeners. Both medium-length and long CFSST columns, classified on the basis of slenderness ratio, were carefully studied and discussed, as well as their inherent differences. The strengths predicted from the FE simulations were compared with the design strengths obtained from various international design codes, and it was shown that the design expressions provide very conservative capacity predictions. Accordingly, a new three-stage confinement-based design model was proposed, which takes into account different confining mechanisms of columns based on their slenderness ratio. It is illustrated that this model provides a very accurate prediction of the square CFSST slender columns, and captures the key behavioural characteristics.

Size Investigation and Engineering Application of Pull Screw Aluminum Alloy Template

As one of the aluminum alloy formwork systems, the pull screw aluminum alloy template is widely used in construction projects. However, in the template design, due to the inability to fully understand the structural measures of the template, the pull screw aluminum alloy template produced by various enterprises has different sizes, which makes it difficult for different enterprises to use the system template interchangeably, and the non-standard rate of the template is extremely high. In this paper, through the investigation of enterprises, the structure and size information of the system template are understood, and the application of the template in the design and construction of the template is summarized in combination with the engineering examples. The conclusions are as follows: The transverse and longitudinal stiffeners of rectangular and trapezoidal sections are arranged in the structure of the pull screw aluminum alloy template. The size of the template is: length 2600mm, 2700mm, width 500mm, 400mm, thickness 4mm. In the project, the pull screw aluminum alloy standard template is preferentially matched, and the wall surface is flat and smooth after use, which meets the requirements of facing and fair-faced concrete without plastering.

Structural Design and Mechanical Behavior Investigation of Steel–Concrete Composite Decks of Narrow-Width Steel Box Composite Bridge

Steel–concrete composite decks are commonly employed in narrow-width steel box composite girder bridges to augment their lateral spanning capabilities, while the concurrent omission of longitudinal stiffeners leads to a substantial reduction in the number of components, thereby yielding a structurally optimized bridge configuration. This paper delineates the structural design parameters of a narrow-profile steel box composite girder bridge and assess the mechanical behavior of its incorporated steel–concrete composite deck under static and fatigue loading conditions. To this end, two full-scale segment specimens from the composite bridge decks were subjected to equal amplitude cyclic fatigue tests. The investigation specifically concentrated on the impacts of two types of shear connectors—namely, perforated steel plates combined with shear studs and perfobond rib shear connectors (PBL connectors)—on the static and fatigue performance, including fatigue stiffness, of the steel–concrete composite bridge decks. The results indicate that, under the static bending condition, the composite deck specimen equipped with stud connectors demonstrates superior overall flexural stiffness in comparison to the specimen featuring PBL connectors. Furthermore, the flexural stiffness of the steel–concrete composite specimens experiences a negligible alteration across two million fatigue loading cycles. Upon the completion of two million fatigue loading cycles, the composite deck specimens incorporating the shear connectors composed of perforated steel plates and shear studs exhibit relatively wider crack widths under the static peak load. Both configurations of the steel–concrete composite bridge deck specimens manifest evident interfacial detachment, signifying insufficient tensile pull-out stiffness of the shear connectors. It is recommended to increase the quantity of the shear connectors or select the pertinent types in order to enhance the interface shear resistance.

Shear buckling resistance models for plate girders – Review and improvements

The paper reviews the shear buckling resistance models for plate girders and proposes an improved model based on the EN 1993–1-5 formulation for evaluating the failure load of a plate girder loaded in shear. The code-based shear resistance models proposed by Basler, Rockey et al. and Höglund are discussed. The Höglund model is further expanded, and the location of the plastic hinges in the flanges is modified, taking into account the relative sizes of the web, flanges, and transverse and longitudinal stiffeners, to produce a consistent tension field model of the plate girder shear post-buckling behaviour.A database was created from the experimental tests on thin steel plate girders loaded in shear that were conducted over time. The proposed model's results are validated by comparison with the shear resistances reported for this database's 261 tests. Statistical analysis shows that the proposed modifications are as accurate as the EN1993–1-5 formulation with the extra advantage of preventing several unsafe results for steel plate girders with high flange-to-web ratios.

Computation of shear buckling stress of thin-walled sections using constrained spline finite strip method

The direct strength method (DSM) design for shear incorporates the elastic shear buckling stress of the cross-section to evaluate the ultimate shear capacity of thin-walled members. To calculate the shear buckling stress using the finite strip method (FSM), the shape functions for longitudinal interpolation are an issue, while capturing the phase change of displacements along the plate strip. This paper presents a novel constrained spline finite strip method (cSFSM) that eliminates the phase change of displacements. Although constrained buckling analysis for shear stresses is reported in the literature based on FSM, the present study is unique in determining pure buckling stresses for simply supported members subjected to shear edge stress. The formulation also provides an accurate representation of the variation of shear stress along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the plate. Hence, coarse discretization of cross-section is sufficient to obtain the accurate shear buckling stress. The formulation is demonstrated on channel sections with lips subjected to shear edge stresses, and elastic buckling stresses are compared with results available in the literature and also with the finite element method (FEM). Illustrative examples are presented on lipped channel members with different end conditions and longitudinal stiffeners on flanges and webs, to calculate the pure elastic buckling stresses under shear edge stresses. The calculation of buckling stresses for members subjected to longitudinal variation of shear and flexural stresses is also presented to calculate coupled and uncoupled buckling stresses.

Experimental and numerical research on the uniaxial behavior of the stiffened circular concrete-filled steel tube stub columns

In large-span bridges or high-rise buildings, CFST columns with large width-to-thickness ratio are often adopted, which require proper stiffening measures to improve the mechanical behaviors. This paper presents a comparative study of circular CFST stub columns with different stiffening methods, including longitudinal stiffeners (cross-shaped, T-shaped and ordinary type), additional reinforcement and headed studs. Axial compression tests have been conducted to investigate the effects of different stiffening methods on the failure mode, ultimate strength and ductility of the circular CFST stub columns. Finite element models are established to simulate the columns’ behaviors and conduct parametric studies. Based on test and simulation results, an axial bearing capacity prediction model for circular CFST stub columns stiffened by longitudinal stiffeners is proposed. It is demonstrated that the failure modes of the steel tube and core concrete are changed by the longitudinal stiffeners. The longitudinal steel stiffeners as well as reinforcing cage can effectively improve the axial bearing capacity and ductility of the columns. The latter is more efficient in promoting the bearing capacity while the former is more efficient in improving the ductility and residual strength. A combination of the additional stirrups and the ordinary stiffeners will be a more economical choice. In addition, the proposed formula gives better prediction accuracy compared to the equations in various design codes.

Normal stress distribution in built-up cold-formed column in relation to interconnecting bolt spacing

In order to increase a stiffness of cold-formed steel (CFS) elements it is practised to built-up the cross-section. In the analysed case, a main element is strengthened by adding extra chord in contact partially along the column. This additional chord acts as a longitudinal stiffener connected with the main section by series of bolts. Authors check whether rules applied over the years, for hot-rolled elements, can be indiscriminately used in the analysed CFS element. The aim of this study is to experimentally and computationally recognize the normal stress distribution in axially compressed CFS built-up column chords and to evaluate the element load-bearing capacity.

Experimental study on the seismic performance of concrete-filled steel tube columns with a multiple-chamber round-ended cross-section

Reinforced concrete bridge piers with round-ended sections are susceptible to bending, bending–shear, and shear failure after earthquakes in high-intensity areas, thus necessitating improved seismic performance. This study introduced a novel design for a concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) column, featuring a multi-chambered, round-ended cross-section. The use of longitudinal and transverse stiffeners divided the column section into distinct chambers, thereby enhancing the seismic performance of the columns. A total of 12 groups of static tests were performed to examine the effect of chamber layout, axial compression ratio, and aspect ratio on columns’ hysteresis behavior, and the hysteresis curves, skeleton curves, failure modes, stiffness degradation, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity were obtained. Results demonstrated the favorable seismic performance of composite columns. Additionally, an increase in chambers led to a full hysteresis curve, enhancing bearing and energy dissipation capacities. The displacement ductility coefficient (μ) ranged between 3.88 and 7.45, and the design parameters have minimal influence on the stiffness degradation of the composite beam. Based on the results, the long and short sides of the CFST columns with a large length–width ratio should be arranged to be relatively close in length.

Control of resonant oscillations of viscoelastic systems

Structures in the form of cylindrical ribbed shells and panels are widely used in engineering and construction. The problem of the action of moving loads on an infinitely long cylindrical shell, reinforced along the outer surface with longitudinal stiffeners and containing a viscoelastic inertial filler, is considered. The moving load is transferred to the shell only through the ribs, and there is no load outside the ribs. The discreteness of the location of the ribs is taken into account by writing the equations of motion of the beams, followed by the satisfaction of the conjugation conditions. The influence of the number and stiffness of ribs on the nature of the distribution of shell displacements and contact pressure at the boundary of a viscoelastic filler is shown. The movement of the shell is described by classic equations based on the Kirchhoff?Love hypothesis; for the filler, dynamic equations of the theory of visco-elasticity are used. It has been established that the reinforcement of shells with longitudinal ribs (oscillations of a cantilevered cylindrical shell) leads to a decrease in natural frequencies and damping coefficients in some shells, an increase in the density of the spectrum of natural frequencies, and the appearance of intermediate forms and forms with the same wave numbers, but with different frequencies. External forces increase natural frequencies and damping coefficients. It is found that the frequencies for the inner edges are lower than for the outer edges. In the high-frequency zone, any efforts reduce the natural frequencies and the damping coefficient. This means that additional mass plays a more significant role than additional rigidity. Consequently, the longitudinal strengthening of the shell worsens its dynamic properties.

Ship longitudinal structural stiffening for navigating turbulent water environment

Ship longitudinal structural stiffening for navigating turbulent water environment