Abstract This paper provides guidelines for cyclic loading bending test simulation and modal analysis of a reinforced concrete I-beam. For this purpose, experimental and numerical cyclic bending test were performed. In the experimental study, the natural frequencies of the structure in the intact and damaged states were measured. The simulation of the cyclic bending test was done with Concrete Damaged Plasticity model (CDP), implemented in Abaqus finite element software. Based on the experimental results, different constitutive models for concrete were evaluated. In order to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the structure in the numerical model, the automatic calibration of the finite element model by Genetic Algorithm (GA) was used. With the calibrated numerical model, methodologies for estimating the overall damage of the structure based on its dynamic properties were proposed. The results confirm that the well-designed numerical model is able to efficiently represent the cyclic loading bending test. In addition, the proposed global damage estimates demonstrate the coherence between numerical and experimental models.

Abstract Here-in, a numerical analysis based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) is proposed in order to investigate cold-formed steel back-to-back double angle structural behavior under compression. Considering non-linear analysis, an investigation was performed to analyze the influence of some aspects, such as the loading condition (concentric and eccentric axial compression), the boundary conditions, the global slenderness, the global and local geometric imperfections, the angle thickness and the number of packing plates. The numerical results signalize that the compression strength obtained in accordance with the standards ABNT NBR 14762:2010 and ANSI/AISI S100 (2012) may be quite conservative, mainly in the lower global slenderness cases. Additionally, the connection spacing (bolted connection with stitch plates in-between the angles) and the presence of a connection at mid-length change the buckling mode, as well as cause a significantly increase in the axial compression strength of the member. The numerical analysis also indicates that the design proposed by ABNT NBR 8800:2008 for the case involving angles under compression connected by one flap can also be applied to cold formed steel angles.

This paper presents an analysis of design guidelines for steel-concrete composite beams, formed by concrete-filled cold-formed steel sections. The study is based on experimental results for connector resistance (push-out) and for four full-scale beam bending tests. The accuracy of analytical design equations is evaluated by comparing their predictions with experimental results. Model bias and model uncertainty of analytical design equations are evaluated. The uncertainty in design variables (steel and concrete resistance, dead and live loads, model errors) is taken into account, and reliability index of code-compliant beams is evaluated. Results show that the models for shear connector and for beam bending resistance are fairly accurate, and represent very little contribution to problem uncertainty and failure probabilities. Results show that for practical beam lengths, full material interaction is guaranteed, and failure is dominated by bending. Reliability indexes of the order of 2.2 to 2.8 are obtained, reflecting reliability of the design procedures studied. These values are low, in comparison to target reliability levels of 3.0 used in code calibration, and should be interpreted carefully in future code revisions.

O objetivo desse trabalho é examinar a estabilidade e resistência de cantoneiras submetidas à compressão centrada por meio de (i) análise numérica, (ii) análise experimental, (iii) clássico método das larguras efetivas e (iv) recente método da resistência direta (MRD), em que as cantoneiras não são relacionadas como perfis pré-qualificados. A análise de estabilidade elástica das cantoneiras formadas frio é conduzida, inicialmente, por meio do método das faixas finitas, com o intuito de mostrar que o modo coincidente local-chapa/global-torsional é, realmente, importante, quando múltiplas meias-ondas são consideradas ao longo do comprimento da barra. Resultados de análise experimental são detalhados e utilizados para avaliar os procedimentos de cálculo atualmente em vigor. Tais resultados indicam que, no cálculo da força normal resistente, ignorar o modo local/torsional como um modo global e considerá-lo somente como um modo local pode resultar em uma decisão contra a segurança em algumas circunstâncias.

The objective of this paper is to examine the stability and strength of concentrically loaded cold-formed steel angles as determined by (i) numerical methods, (ii) experiment, (iii) effective width and (iv) Direct Strength based design methods, in which angles are not pre-qualified sections. The elastic stability of cold-formed steel angle columns is examined primarily with the finite strip method to show that the coincident local-plate/global-torsion mode has some important behavior when multiple buckling half-wavelengths are considered along the length. A series of tests on single and double angles are detailed and the results used to examine existing design methods. The results indicate that the design practice of ignoring local/torsion buckling as a global mode and only considering it as a local mode may not be conservative in some circumstances.