Arlene Maria Cunha Sarmanho

Cold formed steel semi rigid joints

This article presents a theoretical and numerical study of an innovative joint using cold-formed steel sections. The motivation for the study of this connection is the ease of manufacturing and assembly that it provides. The profiles are made of coldformed lipped channel sections, which are welded to form closed built-up sections on the columns and open built-up lipped sections to the beams. The beams use endplates connected by bolts (threaded bars) to the columns. The study evaluates the connection’s initial stiffness of 19 models, where the following parameters were varied: the thickness of the profiles and endplates, the height of the column sections and the diameter of the bolts. A theoretical and a numerical study were developed: the numerical study was performed using finite elements through the commercial software ANSYS, whereas the theoretical study was made based on the component method, prescribed by Eurocode 3, that does not include the design of the connection analyzed herein. Thus, aiming to enable the design of joints composed of cold-formed lipped channel sections, the analysis results were compared and an adjustment coefficient, proportional to the slenderness of the column’s plates, was proposed. The coefficient was introduced to the stiffness component that represents the column web in compression in the mechanical model. The ratio between the coefficients’ numerical and theoretical values presented a maximum variation of 11%, which was considered satisfactory.

Numerical analysis of truss systems with stiffened flattened end-bars

Circular hollow sections are usually used in long-span roof truss systems. One of the typology for connecting elements in such structures involves the flattening of bar ends. This article presents the numerical analysis of a plane truss composed of circular hollow sections, in which diagonal bars have flattened ends. In this sense, a new flattening typology called stiffened flattening is proposed, characterized by a non-flat geometry, with the creation of stiffeners in the lateral edges of the diagonal flattened ends. The diagonal connecting system with the chord members uses connecting plates. The plates are welded to the chords and the diagonals are connected to latter through a single bolt. The numerical analysis using finite elements method was developed in two stages through ANSYS software with the Parametric Design Language (APDL), in which parameters such as geometry, materials, element types, boundary conditions and loads are specified. A non-linear analysis was performed using shell elements on the chords, diagonals, plates and welds, and contact elements between the diagonals with stiffened flattened ends and the connecting plates. Initially, a numerical study of the connecting node and the stiffened flattened end was performed, and the results directed the modeling of the plane truss. The numerical results were calibrated with the experimental truss results in full scale. The numerical result of the plane truss was also compared to a theoretical study, considering the axial load eccentricity applied in the diagonal with stiffened flattened ends. The study was based on the consideration of combined effects of axial force and bending moment provided by the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 8800:2008. The final results indicate that the numerical model proposed is efficient and has good correlation with the experimental and theoretical results.

Influence of shear lag coefficienton circular hollow sections with bolted sleeve connections

The circular hollow sections (CHS) are being widely employed in steel structures around the world, increasing the development of new researches. This article proposes an innovative connection model for circular hollow sections that facilitates and reduces the assembly cost of hollow section structures. The proposed connection is a tube sleeve, used to splice two tubes, composed of an inner tube with a diameter smaller than the connecting tubes, which is connected to the outer tubes by bolts passing through both tubes. This connection can be a cheaper and easier alternative to flange connections, which are widely used in large span tubular trusses. The connection was tested in laboratory under tension loading. The tests made it possible to identify the influence of stress distribution on tubes and the need for the use of a shear lag coefficient. The results of the ultimate load capacity demonstrated the viability of the tube sleeve connection use.