European design recommendations for simple joints in steel structures

Book published by ECCS (European Convention for Constructional Steelwork) (2009)

This document intends to provide European recommendations for the design of simple joints in steel structures. Eurocode 3 Part 1-8 “Design of Connections” gives precise guidelines for the design of ... [more ▼]

This document intends to provide European recommendations for the design of simple joints in steel structures. Eurocode 3 Part 1-8 “Design of Connections” gives precise guidelines for the design of structural joints aimed at transferring bending moments. But for simple joints, information is only provided in Eurocode 3 for some specific failure modes. The way on how internal forces distribute amongst the various components within the joints is also not explicitly described. The present publication fills this gap by proposing practical guidelines for the design of simple joints commonly used in Europe. The design rules presented in this document are in full agreement with the principles of Eurocode 3, and in particular of Eurocode 3 Part 1-8. This document has been prepared at Liège University, editorially checked by Prof. D. Anderson from Warwick University and approved by the Technical Committee TC10. [less ▲]

European recommendations for the design of simple joints

in European recommendations for the design of simple joints (2009)

Experimental and numerical investigations on iron columns reinforced by FRP under axial compression

in Camelbeeck, Th.; Degée, Hervé; Degrande, G. (Eds.) et al Seismic risk (2008, September 11)

This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations on iron columns under axial compression, strengthened with high modulus carbon fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets. It is shown that the ... [more ▼]

This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations on iron columns under axial compression, strengthened with high modulus carbon fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets. It is shown that the resistance and stiffness of iron columns can be increased significantly with the use of longitudinal FRP sheets as a result of the reduction of the column slenderness, but also that transverse FRP sheets should be used to prevent any local buckling of the longitudinal FRP sheets. [less ▲]

Recent developments on composite connections: behaviour of joints subjected to sagging bending moments and presentation of a free design dedicated software

in EUROSTEEL 2008, 5th European Conference on Steel and Composite Structures (2008, September)

In Eurocode 4, design rules are suggested for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of structural steel-concrete composite joints (rotational stiffness, resistance and ductility). These rules cover ... [more ▼]

In Eurocode 4, design rules are suggested for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of structural steel-concrete composite joints (rotational stiffness, resistance and ductility). These rules cover situations where the joints are subjected to moments and shear forces, but in hogging regions only. Recently, researches have been conducted on the behaviour of composite joints subjected to sagging bending moments and to combined bending moments and axial loads, types of loadings which appear in composite frame further to a column loss. In the present paper, recent developments allowing to extend the EC4 design rules to joints in sagging regions (loading which can occur, for instance, in sway composite frames) are presented and the proposed method is validated through comparisons with experimental test results. Also, an easy-to-apply design software (which will be freely available), applying the rules recommended in Eurocode 4 in a safe and easy way, is described. [less ▲]

Global structural behaviour of a building frame further to its partial destruction by column loss

in Ofner, Robert; Beg, Darko; Fink, Josef (Eds.) et al EUROSTEEL 2008, 5th European Conference on Steel and Composite Structures (2008, September)

In 1969, a catastrophic event occurred in UK at the Ronal Point residential building where the progressive collapse of the building, initiated by a localized gas explosion, was observed. Further to this ... [more ▼]

In 1969, a catastrophic event occurred in UK at the Ronal Point residential building where the progressive collapse of the building, initiated by a localized gas explosion, was observed. Further to this event, some codes and standards, and in particular the British Standards, impose to the designer to ensure the structural integrity of building in order to avoid the progressive collapse of the latter further to an exceptional action. In fact, the progressive collapse of a building is the result of a change in the structural system and of the load path associated to the loss of one or more main structural members. In other words, the existing load path is suddenly modified and the loads supported by the building are reported to the foundation through an alternative load path. Accordingly, the remaining structural members are overloaded by additional loads; the latter have to be able to support these loads and to possess a sufficient ductility. In the last decade, researches on this topic were initiated at the Argenco Department of Liège University. The present paper reflects part of these activities; in particular, some investigations dedicated to the investigation of the behaviour of a frame further to a column loss are presented. In another article presented by J.F Demonceau, H.N.N. Luu and J.P Jaspart within the present conference is devoted to the investigation of the behaviour of the frame when significant membranar forces developed within the structure. In particular, in this paper, a simplified substructure which is able to simulate the behaviour of a structure further to a column loss is defined. The present paper presents the analytical methods requested to define the parameters influencing the response of the simplified substructure. [less ▲]

Composite joints in robust building frames

(2008, July)

Recent events such as natural catastrophes or terrorism attacks have highlighted the necessity to ensure the structural integrity of buildings under exceptional actions. Accordingly, a European RFCS ... [more ▼]

Recent events such as natural catastrophes or terrorism attacks have highlighted the necessity to ensure the structural integrity of buildings under exceptional actions. Accordingly, a European RFCS project entitled “Robust structures by joint ductility” has been set up in 2004, for three years, with the aim to provide requirements and practical guidelines for the design of steel and composite structures under exceptional actions. In this project, the importance of the structural joints has been shown; as a particular case, these ones experience additional high tying forces after the loss of a column, as a result of the development of membrane forces in the beams located just above the damaged column. Moreover a reversal of moments occurs in some joints. In this paper design models for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of joints in such extreme situations are presented. References are made to recent tests on joints in isolation and joints in frames recently achieved at Stuttgart and at Liège University in the framework of the above-mentioned RFCS project. [less ▲]

Plastic capacity of semi-compact steel sections

in Proceedings of the CIMS2008 - Coupled Instabilities in Metal Structures (2008, June)

Numerical, analytical and experimental investigations on the response of steel and composite buildings further the loss of a column

in Proceedings of the Colloquium on structural design of constructions subjected to exceptional or accidental actions (2008)

Recent events such as natural catastrophes or terrorism attacks have highlighted the necessity to ensure the structural integrity of buildings under exceptional events. Accord-ing to Eurocodes and some ... [more ▼]

Recent events such as natural catastrophes or terrorism attacks have highlighted the necessity to ensure the structural integrity of buildings under exceptional events. Accord-ing to Eurocodes and some different other national design codes, the structural integrity of civil engineering constructions should be ensured through appropriate measures but, in most of the cases, no precise practical guidelines on how to achieve this goal are provided. A European RFCS project entitled “Robust structures by joint ductility” has been set up in 2004, for three years, with the aim to provide requirements and practical guidelines ensuring the structural integrity of steel and composite structures under exceptional events through an appropriate robustness. In particular, one substructure test simulating the loss of a column in a composite building has been performed at Liège University. Present paper describes ana-lytical, numerical and experimental investigations carried out at Liège University as part of this European project. [less ▲]

Steel column base classification

in Heron (2008), 53(1/2),

The influence of the rotational characteristics of the column bases on the structural frame response is discussed and specific design criteria for stiffness classification into semi-rigid and rigid joints ... [more ▼]

The influence of the rotational characteristics of the column bases on the structural frame response is discussed and specific design criteria for stiffness classification into semi-rigid and rigid joints are derived. The particular case of an industrial portal frame is then considered. [less ▲]

Component method for steel column base plates

in Heron (2008), 53(1/2),

This paper presents the application of the component method to steel column bases. The decomposition of the connection into components is described. An analytical model is presented to determine the ... [more ▼]

This paper presents the application of the component method to steel column bases. The decomposition of the connection into components is described. An analytical model is presented to determine the moment resistance and the rotational stiffness of column bases under axial forces. The analytical model is verified with test results. A sensitivity study of the base plate thickness and the anchor bolt length is presented. [less ▲]