Automatic plastic-hinge analysis and design of 3D steel frames

A rather complete picture of automatic plastic-hinge analysis onto steel frames under static loads is made in the present thesis. One/two/three-linear behaviours of mild steel are considered. The frames are submitted to fixed or repeated load. The geometric nonlinearity is taken into account. The beam-to-column joints of structures could be rigid or semi-rigid. The compact or slender cross-sections are examined. The investigation is carried out using direct or step-by-step methods. Both analysis and optimization methodologies are applied. From the fundamental theory to the computer program aspect are presented. Various benchmarks in open literatures are tested demonstrating the efficiency of the implementation.