Structural Engineering and Materials

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Experimental Investigation of the Multiple Row Extended 1/2 End-Plate Moment Connection
Sumner, Emmett A.; Murray, Thomas M. (2001-12-01)
End-plate moment connections are widely used by the low-rise metal building industry to provide the rigid connections necessary in gable frames. There are numerous end-plate moment connection configurations. The multiple row extended 1/2 (MRE 112) end-plate moment connection configuration is the focus of this investigation. The MRE 1/2 end-plate moment connection has three rows of bolts at the tension flange, one row located outside the beam flange and two rows located inside the beam flange. Six MRE 1/2 end-plate moment connection tests were conducted at the Virginia Tech Structures and Materials Laboratory. The purpose of the tests was to investigate the moment strength of the connections and to validate the current design procedures. Details of the connection design, test set-up, testing procedure, and test results are presented within this report. It is concluded that the current design procedures, presented in the forthcoming AISC Steel Design Guide 16, Flush and Extended Multiple Row Moment End-Plate Connections (Murray and Shoemaker, 2002), conservatively predict the strength of MRE 112 end-plate moment connections. The strength predictions are adequate for MRE 1/2 end-plate connections utilizing A325 or A490 bolts with a standard or a large inner pitch distance.
Experimental Evaluation of a Vehicular Access Door Subjected to Hurricane Force Wind Pressures
Gao, Tian; Moen, Cristopher D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2009-11-01)
This report presents findings on the behavior of a typical rolling sheet vehicular access door under a hurricane force wind pressure. The objectives are to quantify the structural behavior of a rolling sheet vehicular access door and the attached frame under both positive pressure (pushing the door into the building) and negative pressure (suction pulling the door away from the building), including the direct measurement of the catenary forces in the wind locks with strain gauges. The results will be used to optimize existing design methods for a rolling sheet vehicular access door and the supporting door frame.
Curtain Beam Strip Analysis
Moen, Cristopher D.; Janas, Matthew (2011-04-01)
A beam strip model based on an Euler-Bernoulli elastica solution is implemented in a freely available wind analysis computer program for metal building vehicular access doors to calculate door jamb forces and curtain deflections considering jamb and framing flexibility. The software is provided to support analysis-based vehicular access door design for metal buildings. Existing access door curtain and jamb design approaches are viable for rigid door jambs. However it was shown with experiments that wind-lock forces decrease and door out-of-plane deflection increases when the door jamb and framing are more flexible, for example, in the case of typical cold-formed steel framing details where a C-section jamb is discretely braced by wall girts.
Elastic Buckling of Cold Formed Steel Beams with Unstiffened Holes
von der Heyden, Aaron; Moen, Cristopher D. (2011-04-01)
Critical elastic buckling analyses for cold-formed steel beams with unstiffened holes are performed in this assignment. The beam dimensions, boundary and loading conditions for the conducted simulations are based on experiments conducted by A. Schudlich [14]. Critical buckling moments for local, distortional and global buckling are calculated on the one hand by using the finite element method and on the other hand by employing the simplified methods for deriving critical elastic buckling parameters for coldformed steel provided by the American Iron and Steel Institute’s Direct Strength Method (DSM) [1]. The results of both analyses have been compared in order to validate the DSM simplified methods. Also beams without holes are considered in this assignment as well as all beams with holes are also simulated without holes included. With comparing the results of members without holes to those members with holes, the influence of unstiffened holes can be obtained.
Flexural Strength of Exterior Metal Building Wall Assemblies with Rigid Insulation
Gao, Tian (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2011-08-01)
The goal of this research study is to observe and quantify the influence of rigid board insulation on through-fastened girt capacity. Rotational restraint tests are performed to study local rotational stiffness at the flange-insulation contact point. Vacuum box tests on through-fastened wall systems are conducted to explore the effect of insulation thickness on the R-factor. The results will be used to support new code language in AISI S100-07 D6.1 that accommodate capacity prediction of metal building wall systems with rigid board insulation.
Vehicular Access Doors under Hurricane Force Wind Pressure: Analysis Methods and a Design Tool
Janas, Matthew; Moen, Cristopher D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2011-08-01)
It is essential that rolling sheet metal access doors in metal buildings, and the door jambs they are attached to, resist high pressures during an extreme wind event. Catastrophic damage to the building and its contents can occur if the door fails, as documented by recent post!hurricane surveys conducted after Hurricanes Ike and Katrina (FEMA 2005a; FEMA 2005b; RICOWI 2006; RICOWI 2007; RICOWI 2009). Once the door is breached, pressure accumulates inside the building that can fail the walls and roof (Figure 1). Estimated yearly damage from windinduced damage in the U.S. is 5.4 billion dollars (NOAA 2011), reinforcing the need for reliable wind resistance structures and accurate wind design procedures. This research program aims to complement the existing DASMA access door wind analysis approach with a general procedure applicable to a wider range of access doors and jamb details, including doors attached to flexible jambs, e.g., cold-formed steel framing. The generalized analysis procedures are founded on an analytical framework of nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli elastica differential equations. Jamb stiffness boundary conditions are approximated with hand calculations employing existing cantilever and torsional stiffness engineering expressions. The analytical framework is validated with thin-shell finite element modeling and the Douglasville experimental data, and then implemented as a custom built, freely available Matlab program.
Distortional Buckling Experiments on Cold-Formed Steel Joists with Unstiffened Holes
Schudlich, Anna; von der Heyden, Aaron; Moen, Cristopher D. (2011-09-01)
Experiments were conducted on cold-formed steel C-section joists with rectangular unstiffened web holes. The presence of holes decreased joist capacity and amplified distortional buckling deformation. Distortional buckling was accompanied by unstiffened strip buckling of the compressed web. When hole depth approached the web depth, sudden flexural buckling of the compressed flange at the hole was observed. Forthcoming direct strength method equations for joists with holes accurately predicted flexural capacity when web hole depth equaled two-thirds the web depth, and was unconservative for larger web holes.
Historical Survey, Structural Analysis, and Load Testing of the Ironto Wayside Footbridge
Huffman, Elaine; Moen, Cristopher D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2012-01-27)
A structural study examines the oldest remaining metal bridge in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a wrought iron bowstring arch-truss, designed and manufactured by the King Iron Bridge Company. Finite element analysis is used to evaluate interaction between arch and truss, and the results are compared to field measurements from a live load test. The study reveals that diagonal truss elements decrease arch bending by distributing concentrated vertical loads along the arch toward the abutments in a way consistent with that of modern network arch bridges. With truss diagonals absent, vertical bridge deck deflection doubles. Underslung portal frames provide lateral stiffness to the arch, an innovation that accommodated a shallow arch profile conducive to transportation and erection.
Vehicular Access Doors under Hurricane Force Wind Pressure: Experiments to Study Jamb Behavior
Gao, Tian; Moen, Cristopher D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2012-03-01)
In August of 2009, two 10 ft by 10 ft DBCI 5000 vehicular access doors were tested with a simulated hurricane force wind pressure at the DBCI in Douglasville, GA (Gao and Moen 2009). After evaluating the results from this study, it was hypothesized that the door curtain deflection and wind-lock axial force are sensitive to the jamb stiffness: a stiffer jamb limits curtain deflection, but at the same time increases wind-lock axial force. A subsequent analytical and computation study (Janas and Moen 2011) confirmed this hypothesis, leading to the development and validation of a general mechanics-based prediction model that was implemented as a computer program CSBA. In this study, two 10 ft by 10 ft access doors are tested with different wind-lock details and door jambs than those considered in the August 2009 study. Jamb stiffness and jamb deformation are directly measured, providing useful data for validating the CSBA prediction model. The access doors (Janus 3100) were provided by Janus International, and the tests were again conducted at DBCI in Douglasville, GA in November of 2011.
Flexural Capacity Prediction Method for an Open Web Joist Laterally Braced by a Standing Seam Roof System
Cronin, Luke; Moen, Cristopher D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2012-04-01)
A new strength prediction approach is presented for open web joists partially braced by a standing seam roof. The approach employs the existing AISC column curve to calculate top chord flexural buckling capacity using the top chord critical elastic buckling load. Recently derived buckling load equations are presented that account for lateral stiffness provided by the roof and the parabolically varying axial load from a uniform vertical pressure along the span. A new hybrid experimental-computational protocol is introduced for approximating standing seam roof lateral stiffness for systems without and with intermediate bridging. The strength prediction approach is demonstrated to be accurate for a small set of experiments, however a larger scale validation effort is still needed.
Out-of-Plane Web Deformation and Relative Arch Movement of Hybrid-Composite Beams Based on Photogrammetry
Mascaro, Margret Grace; Moen, Cristopher D. (2012-07-27)
Recently invented by John R. Hillman, Hybrid-Composite Beams (HCBs) are a new approach to structural design that incorporate four materials in such a way as to maximize the efficiency of each material. A concrete arch serves as the main compression reinforcement, with steel strands tying the arch and carrying tension forces. The space between the arch and the steel is filled with stiff, lightweight foam. A Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) box encases the system and adds shear reinforcement. The Virginia Department of Transportation is interested in using HCBs in bridges and funded a project at Virginia Tech to better understand the behavior of the beams. Close-range photogrammetry was incorporated into the project to detect out-of-plane movement of the FRP web and movement of the arch within the FRP shell due to applied loads. The individual beam underwent two phases of testing, the first of which occurred prior to the concrete arch being placed in the beam. The second phase took place after the arch cured. A total of 22 photosets were taken of the beam, four during Phase I and 18 during Phase II. The results of the FRP web study indicate that beam is flexible laterally and prone to lateral displacement when not connected to a larger bridge system. Significant movement of the arch within the FRP shell was detected demonstrating sinusoidal behavior along the edge of the arch and restrained movement at the center of the arch.
VT Lifting Stability Analysis - Metric Units
Cojocaru, Razvan; Moen, Cristopher D. (2013-08-23)
VT Lifting Stability Analysis - US Customary Units
Cojocaru, Razvan; Moen, Cristopher D. (2013-08-23)
Theory and Applications of the Lifting of Elastic, Doubly Symmetric, Horizontally Curved Beams
Plaut, Raymond H.; Moen, Cristopher D. (2013-10-02)
The lifting of horizontally curved beams (or almost-straight beams with an imperfection in shape) is considered, with application in the construction of bridges. A circularly curved beam that is suspended at two symmetric locations by vertical or inclined cables is analyzed. The cross section of the beam is assumed to be doubly symmetric, the material is assumed to be linearly elastic, the cross-sectional dimensions are assumed to be small relative to the radius of curvature, and the deformations are assumed to be small. Both uniform (St. Venant) torsion and inclusion of nonuniform (warping) torsion are treated. Analytical equations are derived for the overall roll angle of the beam, the internal forces and moments, the weak-axis and strong-axis deflections, and the cross-sectional angle of twist. The behavior depends crucially on the locations of the lift points.
Energy Dissipation of Thin-Walled Cold-Formed Steel Members
Padilla-Llano, David A.; Moen, Cristopher D.; Eatherton, Matthew R. (2013-10-02)
Design of cold-formed steel (CFS) structures subjected to lateral seismic forces traditionally relies on the cyclic strength of subassemblages such as strapped/sheathed shear walls. Little regard is paid to the behavior of the individual components, their contribution to the lateral resistance of CFS structures, or to the actual seismic behavior of the structure as a whole. Understanding the cyclic behavior at the individual component level is necessary to develop accurate and computationally efficient models, a toolbox of nonlinear elements, capable of accurately and efficiently simulating the seismic behavior of CFS members and the infinite number of possible configurations in cold-formed steel structures. This report summarizes results from a research program designed to investigate the cyclic behavior and energy dissipation of cold-formed steel C–sections structural axial and flexural framing members. Twenty four axial tests and 24 flexural tests were performed to evaluate the energy dissipation characteristics of axial and flexural members experiencing global, distortional and local buckling deformations. Specimen cross-section dimensions and lengths were selected to isolate the specific buckling modes. A cyclic loading protocol is adapted for cold-formed steel members to evaluate the energy dissipation characteristics. The protocol target displacements are defined based on elastic buckling properties. Experimental data is utilized to calibrate a hysteretic model that represents the cyclic response of cold-formed steel C-section structural framing members. The model includes strength degradation, unloading stiffness degradation and pinching behavior of the observed experimental response. Model parameters and damage rules are calibrated for local, distortional and global buckling based on the hysteretic energy dissipated. The calibrated parameters can be utilized to develop a toolbox of nonlinear hysteretic springs to represent framing axial members in CFS structures for seismic analysis and facilitate performance based earthquake engineering of CFS structures.
Energy Dissipation for Cold Formed Steel Connections
Haus, Andreas (2014-02-18)
Crack Detection and Measurement Utilizing Image-Based Reconstruction
Zheng, Paul (2014-06-16)
Image-based reconstruction for automated crack detection has been on the rise for the past decade or so; this new technology can be applicable to many different areas such as laboratory testing, field inspections, construction quality control and quality assurance, and post disaster reconnaissance. An added feature to automated crack detection is the ability to perform digital crack measurements with increased safety. Crack detection during experimental testing may require researchers to mark cracks on the specimens, whereas researchers can take photographs of the specimens from a safe distance and have the reconstructed model digital crack detection. Automated crack detection along with digital crack measurements will increase the quantity of cracks observed and measured. Increased quantity could reduce cost of field inspections by reducing inspection time. Compared to traditional crack measurement techniques such as a crack detection pocket microscope (crack-scope) or crack width card (also referred to as a crack width gauge), safety would be less of a concern since photographs for image reconstruction can be taken at a distance rather than having to be directly against the structure. Safety is a major concern in post disaster reconnaissance; after an event such as an earthquake or tsunami, structures have to be examined to determine the extent of damage. By utilizing image based reconstruction, assessments can be made without placing the inspector or engineer in dangerous situations.
Crack Detection and Measurement Utilizing Image-Based Reconstruction
Zheng, Paul (2014-06-17)
Image-based reconstruction for automated crack detection has been on the rise for the past decade or so; this new technology can be applicable to many different areas such as laboratory testing, field inspections, construction quality control and quality assurance, and post disaster reconnaissance. An added feature to automated crack detection is the ability to perform digital crack measurements with increased safety. Crack detection during experimental testing may require researchers to mark cracks on the specimens, whereas researchers can take photographs of the specimens from a safe distance and have the reconstructed model digital crack detection. Automated crack detection along with digital crack measurements will increase the quantity of cracks observed and measured. Increased quantity could reduce cost of field inspections by reducing inspection time. Compared to traditional crack measurement techniques such as a crack detection pocket microscope (crack scope) or crack width card (also referred to as a crack width gauge), safety would be less of a concern since photographs for image reconstruction can be taken at a distance rather than having to be directly against the structure; both of these traditional tools can be seen in Figure 1. Safety is a major concern in post disaster reconnaissance; after an event such as an earthquake or tsunami, structures have to be examined to determine the extent of damage. By utilizing image based reconstruction, assessments can be made without placing the inspector or engineer in dangerous situations.
The Effect of Powder Actuated Fasteners on the Seismic Performance of Protected Zones in Steel Moment Frames
Eatherton, Matthew R.; Toellner, Bradley W.; Watkins, Charles E.; Abbas, Ebrahim K. (2014-10-08)
Steel moment resisting frames rely on large inelastic strains in the beam plastic hinge region to dissipate seismic energy during an earthquake and protect the building against collapse. To limit the potential for premature fracture and because of a lack of test data, fasteners, attachments and defects are prohibited in the plastic hinge region, also referred to as the protected zone in the AISC Seismic Provisions. However, unauthorized attachments and defects occur in many buildings in practice. A set of twelve full-scale moment connection tests were conducted to explore the effect of powder actuated fasteners (PAF) and puddle welds on the seismic performance of steel moment connections. Both reduced beam section and extended end plate connections were tested with W24x62 and W36x150 beams. Five specimens included PAF or puddle welds representing typical steel deck attachment to the top flange of the beam. Three of the specimens included PAF in a grid over the top and bottom flange and on the web. All twelve specimens passed the qualification criteria for special moment resisting frames (SMRF) in the AISC Seismic Provisions as they were subjected to a cyclic displacement protocol up to 4% story drift while retaining 80% of their nominal plastic moment capacity. This suggests that moment connections with PAF and puddle welds within the bounds of what was tested, will produce ductile SMRF type seismic performance. Furthermore, PAF and puddle welds were found to have negligible effect on cyclic envelope, moment capacity, energy dissipation and strength degradation prior to fracture.
Stiffness and Strength of Single Shear Cold-Formed Steel Screw-Fastened Connections
Pham, Hong S.; Moen, Cristopher D. (2015)
Results are presented from an experimental program on single shear cold-formed steel-to-steel through-fastened screw connections, including documentation of the complete load-deformation response and stiffness degradation. Ply thicknesses from 0.88mm to 2.58mm and screw diameters of 4.17mm to 5.49mm were tested to cover the practical range of applications common to cold-formed steel framing. A custom non-contact optical technique measured steel ply relative displacements and screw tilting angles. Fastener load-deformation response is presented in a format that can be incorporated into codes and standards for system level design calculations that require connection stiffness to quantify load sharing. The simplified multi-linear curves characterized from monotonic responses can also serve as nonlinear springs in cold-formed steel subsystem computational models (e.g., shear wall, floor diaphragm, roof truss) and 3D whole building cold-formed steel structural simulations.

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