• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.51 no.5
• /
• pp.809-821
• /
• 2014

The truss based steel bridge structures usually consists of gusset plates which lose their load carrying capacity and rigidity under the effect of repeated and dynamics loads. This paper is focused on modeling the nonlinear material behavior of the gusset plates of the Truss Based Bridges subjected to dynamics loads. The nonlinear behavior of material is characterized by a damage coupled elsto-plastic material models. A truss bridge finite element model is established in Abaqus with the details of the gusset plates and their connections. The nonlinear finite element analyses are performed to calculate stress and strain states in the gusset plates under different loading conditions. The study indicates that damage initiation occurred in the plastic deformation localized region of the gusset plates where all, diagonal, horizontal and vertical, truss member met and are critical for shear type of failure due tension and compression interaction. These findings are agreed with the analytical and experimental results obtained for the stress distribution of this kind gusset plate.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.541-558
• /
• 2019

In Special Concentrically Braced Frames (SCBFs), vertical and horizontal components of the brace force must be resisted by column and beam, respectively but normal force component existing at the gusset plate-to-column and beam interfaces, creates out-of-plane action making distortion in column and beam faces adjacent to the gusset plate. It is a main concern in Hollow Structural Section (HSS) columns and beams where their webs and gusset plate are not in the same plane. In this paper, a new gusset plate passing through the HSS columns and beams, named as through gusset plate, is proposed to study the force transfer mechanism in such gusset plates of SCBFs compared to the case with conventional gusset plates. For this purpose, twelve SCBFs with diagonal brace and HSS columns and twelve SCBFs with chevron brace and HSS columns and beams are considered. For each frame, two cases are considered, one with through gusset plates and the other with conventional ones. Based on numerical results, using through gusset plates prevents distortion and out-of-plane deformation at HSS column and beam faces adjacent to the gusset plate helping the entire column and beam cross-sections to resist respectively vertical and horizontal components of the brace force. Moreover, its application increases energy dissipation, lateral stiffness and strength around 28%, 40% and 32%, respectively, improving connection behavior and raising the resistance of the normal force components at the gusset plate-to-HSS column and beam interfaces to approximately 4 and 3.5 times, respectively. Finally, using such through gusset plates leads to better structural performance particularly for HSS columns and beams with larger width-to-thickness ratio elements.

• International journal of steel structures
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.1284-1296
• /
• 2018

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), plates bonding repair method is one of the simple repair methods for cracked steel structures. In this study, the influence of width of CFRP plates on bending fatigue life of out-of-plane gusset joint strengthened with CFRP plates was investigated from the experimental and numerical point of view. In the bending fatigue test of cracked out-of-plane gusset joint strengthened with CFRP plates, the effect of width of CFRP plates on crack growth life was clarified experimentally. Namely, it was revealed that the crack growth life becomes larger with increasing the width of CFRP plates. In the numerical approach, the stress intensity factor (SIF) at the surface point of a semi-elliptical surface crack was estimated based on the linear fracture mechanics. Furthermore, the extended fatigue life of cracked out-of-plane gusset joint strengthened with CFRP plates was evaluated by using the estimated SIF at the surface point and the empirical formula of the aspect ratio of semi-elliptical crack. As the results of numerical analysis, the estimated fatigue life of the specimen strengthened with CFRP plates showed the good agreement with the test results.

• Advances in Computational Design
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.233-267
• /
• 2018

Conventional seismic design of concentrically braced frame (CBF) structures suggests that the gusset plate connecting a steel brace to beams and/or columns should be designed as non-dissipative in earthquakes, while the steel brace members should be designed as dissipative elements. These design intentions lead to thicker and larger gusset plates in design on one hand and a potentially under-rated contribution of gusset plates in design, on the other hand. In contrast, research has shown that compact and thinner gusset plates designed in accordance with the elliptical clearance method rather than the conventional standard linear clearance method can enhance system ductility and energy dissipation capacity in concentrically braced steel frames. In order to assess the two design methods, six cyclic push-over tests on full scale models of concentric braced steel frame structures were conducted. Furthermore, a 3D finite element (FE) shell model, incorporating state-of-the-art tools and techniques in numerical simulation, was developed that successfully replicates the response of gusset plate and bracing members under fully reversed cyclic axial loading. Direct measurements from strain gauges applied to the physical models were used primarily to validate FE models, while comparisons of hysteresis load-displacement loops from physical and numerical models were used to highlight the overall performance of the FE models. The study shows the two design methods attain structural response as per the design intentions; however, the elliptical clearance method has a superiority over the standard linear method as a fact of improving detailing of the gusset plates, enhancing resisting capacity and improving deformability of a CBF structure. Considerations were proposed for improvement of guidelines for detailing gusset plates and bracing members in CBF structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.411-427
• /
• 2016

In this study, by using finite element non-linear static analysis and comparing it with experimental models, the buckling and post-buckling behavior of bracing gusset plates has been investigated. The effects of such parameters as dimension and thickness of the gusset plate and the influence of position of the bracing member on the behavior of gusset plate have been examined. The results of the analyses clearly suggest that capacity, buckling and post-buckling behaviors of gusset plates depend on the position of the bracing splice plate with respect to the free bending line as well as on the size and thickness of the gusset plate. Also, with respect to numerical analysis results, some practical graphs for the calculation of buckling capacity of gusset plate connections are presented. For steel structures, the proposed method is apparently more accurate than available code procedures.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.155-166
• /
• 2020

To connect exterior reinforced concrete (RC) columns with the steel belt truss, the gusset plates are welded to the steel plates embedded in the RC column. Then, the concrete around an embedded plate is very likely to be damaged by the heat input from a long-time (6 to 48 hours) welding of the embedded and gusset plates at a joint between RC columns and steel belt truss. However, very few studies have assessed the concrete damage caused by the welding heat between embedded and gusset plates, and no clear onsite solution has been found. In this paper, experimental tests have been carried out on 4 full-scale specimen to analyze the effect of long-time (about 6 hours) onsite welding (1-side welding and 3-side welding) between a gusset plate and an embedded plate in high strength concrete with compressive strength of 55 MPa and 80 MPa on RC columns. The effect of the long-time welding heat of embedded and gusset plates, which are used in real high-rise building construction sites, on concrete is analyzed in terms of the following three items: 1) temperature distribution, 2) pattern and characteristics of cracks, and 3) effect of the cracks on the compressive strength of RC column. Based on the experimental results, even though the heat input up to about 150? from the long-time onsite welding on the high-strength concrete column for the joint could result in concrete cracks in a radial form, it is found that the welding cracks have no effect on the axial stiffness and strength of the concrete column.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.826-833
• /
• 1998

The energy-absorbing characteristic of impact limiters affects the cask design so significantly that it should be evaluated as accurate as possible. The objective of this study is to find the influence of the impact limiter's steel case and gusset plates which enclose the shock absorbing cellular material on the impact energy absorption. The influence of impact limiter's steel case and gusset plate stiffeners on the impact energy absorption behavior under horizontal drop impact was evaluated for a radioactive isotope transport cask. Though the impact limiters mitigate the impact damage of the cask, the impact limiter's steel case and gusset plate stiffeners increase the impact force so significantly that should be designed as soft as possible. The impact analysis without considering impact limiter's steel case and gusset plates stiffener gives non-conservative results, so the stiffness of the steel case and gusset plates should be considered in impact analysis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.179-186
• /
• 2013

Steel braced frames are commonly used because braced frames are one of the most economical and efficient seismic resisting systems. However, research into the behavior of multi-story X-braced frame systems with mid-span gusset plates, as used in practice, is limited. As a result, their seismic performance and the influence of connection design on this performance are not well understood. Detailed nonlinear computer analyses of the frame were performed prior to building the test specimens and were used to aid the design and to predict the system performance. These analyses suggested significantly different behavior for the midspan gusset plate than that noted for the corner gusset plate connections. This paper summarizes the results of a full scale, 2-story braced frame analysis and test on concentrically braced frames.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.735-751
• /
• 2014

Concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) composite columns, either circular (CCFT) or rectangular (RCFT), have many economical and aesthetic advantages but the behavior of their connections are complicated. This study aims to investigate, through an experimental program, the performance and behavior of different connections configurations between circular concrete filled steel tube columns (CCFT) and gusset plates subjected to shear and axial compression loadings. The study included seventeen connection subassemblies consisting of a fixed length steel tube and gusset plate connected to the tube end with different details tested under half cyclic loading. A notable effect was observed on the behavior of the connections due to its detailing changes with respect to capacity, failure mode, ductility, and stress distribution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
• /
• v.9 no.2 s.31
• /
• pp.237-248
• /
• 1997

Three types of fatigue cracks frequently observed in the crane runway girders are verified experimentally using two testing-purpose girders with the size of $6400{\times}600{\times}300$ in millimeters. The fatigue cracks are observed in the vicinity of load-bearing points, at the end of gusset plates and at the fillet welded joints between the lower flange and the web. The load-bearing-point cracks are initiated at the intersection of the fillet welds between the upper flange and the web, where the vertical stiffener is located. The cracks grow up toward the diagonal direction of the web. The cracks observed at the fillet welded joints grow up perpendicularly to the crane runway girder. Compared with the JSSC fatigue design code, the joint class is classified as follows: E for the vicinity of load-bearing points, G or H for the end of gusset plates and D for the lower fillet welded joints. The tests reveal that the class of joint classification at the end of gusset plates and at the lower flange coincides with the fatigue design code.