Inelastic behavior in steel special moment frames occurs through the development of plastic hinges at locations near the ends of the beam. The main objective of using a reduced beam connection is to force the formation of plastic hinges to be formed at the reduced beam section rather than at the ends of the beam which otherwise would lead to brittle failure of the beam-column connections. The beam has two reduced beam sections, each located at a certain distance from the face of the column, so that the plastic hinges are formed symmetrically at each of this section. When acted upon by lateral loads, the maximum moments occur at the ends of the beam. Therefore, the plastic hinges form at the reduced beam section. However, when a frame is subjected to a combination of gravity and lateral loads, the plastic hinge formation at one of the reduced beam section is not so clear and further analysis has to be done to study the effect. FEMA 350 indicates that the desired plastic hinge location is only valid for beams with gravity loads representing a small portion of the total flexural demand. If gravity demands significantly exceed 30% of the girder plastic capacity then further plastic analysis of the frame should be performed to determine the appropriate hinge locations. The scope of my thesis is mainly to study the combined effect of gravity and lateral loads on the formation of plastic hinges in steel moment frames with reduced beam section connections.

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O trabalho trata da formulação, implementação e aplicação de um modelo para análise não-linear de estruturas reticuladas planas em concreto armado, baseado no conceito simplificado de localização dos processos físicos irreversíveis (dano, plasticidade e histerese) em zonas previamente definidas denominadas rótulas que se localizam nas extremidades de um elemento finito de barra. O modelo proposto tem por objetivo reproduzir os deslocamentos residuais relacionados tanto ao comportamento plástico do concreto danificado quanto ao escoamento do aço, além de possibilitar a reprodução de laços de histerese observados experimentalmente em diagramas momento-rotação, ou equivalentemente força-deslocamento, quando a história de carregamento incluir ciclos de descarregamento e recarregamento. A formulação termodinâmica é desenvolvida fazendo-se referência as variáveis de tensão e deformação generalizadas em razão de sua aplicação no âmbito da teoria clássica de flexão de barras. Neste modelo a não-linearidade do elemento estrutural é totalmente decorrente da dissipação de energia localizada nas rótulas e é representada por três variáveis escalares a elas associadas: a variável adimensional de dano, a rotação plástica e a rotação por escorregamento, que representa o fenômeno físico do escorregamento entre as faces das microfissuras no concreto (encaixe e desencaixe dos agregados). Na fase de aplicações as respostas numéricas obtidas com a utilização do modelo proposto foram avaliadas mediante o confronto com diversos resultados experimentais disponíveis na literatura para estruturas de concreto armado sob solicitações estáticas e dinâmicas. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam o bom funcionamento do modelo no caso das solicitações estáticas, tendo sido obtidos resultados limitadamente satisfatórios no caso das solicitações dinâmicas. / This work deals with the formulation, implementation and application of a model for nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete planed frame structures, based on the simplified concept of localization of the irreversible physical processes (damage, plasticity and hysteresis) in zones previously defined called hinges which are located in the extremities of a bar finite element. The proposed model has as objective to reproduce the residual displacements related to the plastic behavior of the damaged concrete as well as to the steel yielding, moreover making possible the reproduction of hysteresis loops experimentally observed in moment-rotation diagrams, or equivalently force-displacement, when the loading history includes unloading and reloading cycles. The thermodynamic formulation is developed referring to generalized stress and deformation variables due to their application in the scope of the classic theory of bars bending. In this model the nonlinearity of the structural element is totally due to the energy dissipation in the hinges and is represented by three scalar variables associated to them: the non-dimensional damage variable, the plastic rotation and the sliding rotation, which represents the physical phenomenon of sliding between the microcracks faces in the concrete (aggregate interlocking). In the applications phase, the numerical solutions obtained with the use of the proposed model had been evaluated by confrontation with various experimental results available in the literature of reinforced concrete structures under static and dynamic solicitations. The obtained results evidence the good performance of the model in the case of static solicitations, having been obtained limited satisfactory results in the case of dynamic solicitations.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-77).

O trabalho trata da formulação, implementação e aplicação de um modelo para análise não-linear de estruturas reticuladas planas em concreto armado, baseado no conceito simplificado de localização dos processos físicos irreversíveis (dano, plasticidade e histerese) em zonas previamente definidas denominadas rótulas que se localizam nas extremidades de um elemento finito de barra. O modelo proposto tem por objetivo reproduzir os deslocamentos residuais relacionados tanto ao comportamento plástico do concreto danificado quanto ao escoamento do aço, além de possibilitar a reprodução de laços de histerese observados experimentalmente em diagramas momento-rotação, ou equivalentemente força-deslocamento, quando a história de carregamento incluir ciclos de descarregamento e recarregamento. A formulação termodinâmica é desenvolvida fazendo-se referência as variáveis de tensão e deformação generalizadas em razão de sua aplicação no âmbito da teoria clássica de flexão de barras. Neste modelo a não-linearidade do elemento estrutural é totalmente decorrente da dissipação de energia localizada nas rótulas e é representada por três variáveis escalares a elas associadas: a variável adimensional de dano, a rotação plástica e a rotação por escorregamento, que representa o fenômeno físico do escorregamento entre as faces das microfissuras no concreto (encaixe e desencaixe dos agregados). Na fase de aplicações as respostas numéricas obtidas com a utilização do modelo proposto foram avaliadas mediante o confronto com diversos resultados experimentais disponíveis na literatura para estruturas de concreto armado sob solicitações estáticas e dinâmicas. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam o bom funcionamento do modelo no caso das solicitações estáticas, tendo sido obtidos resultados limitadamente satisfatórios no caso das solicitações dinâmicas. / This work deals with the formulation, implementation and application of a model for nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete planed frame structures, based on the simplified concept of localization of the irreversible physical processes (damage, plasticity and hysteresis) in zones previously defined called hinges which are located in the extremities of a bar finite element. The proposed model has as objective to reproduce the residual displacements related to the plastic behavior of the damaged concrete as well as to the steel yielding, moreover making possible the reproduction of hysteresis loops experimentally observed in moment-rotation diagrams, or equivalently force-displacement, when the loading history includes unloading and reloading cycles. The thermodynamic formulation is developed referring to generalized stress and deformation variables due to their application in the scope of the classic theory of bars bending. In this model the nonlinearity of the structural element is totally due to the energy dissipation in the hinges and is represented by three scalar variables associated to them: the non-dimensional damage variable, the plastic rotation and the sliding rotation, which represents the physical phenomenon of sliding between the microcracks faces in the concrete (aggregate interlocking). In the applications phase, the numerical solutions obtained with the use of the proposed model had been evaluated by confrontation with various experimental results available in the literature of reinforced concrete structures under static and dynamic solicitations. The obtained results evidence the good performance of the model in the case of static solicitations, having been obtained limited satisfactory results in the case of dynamic solicitations.

In the seismic design of reinforced concrete frames, plastic hinges are allocated to beams such that a ductile beam-sway mechanism will form in preference to other less ductile mechanisms in the event of a major earthquake. This is achieved by ensuring that the flexural strength of columns is greater than that corresponding to the maximum likely flexural strength of beam plastic hinges. Recent experimental studies in New Zealand have shown that elongation of ductile beam plastic hinges, and its interaction with nearby floor slab containing precast-prestressed floor units, increases the strength of beams much more than that specified in New Zealand and American Concrete standards. This level of strength enhancement has raised concern on the adequacy of the current design provisions. To further investigate this problem, a research project was initiated to examine the strength of beam plastic hinges in reinforced concrete frames containing precast-prestressed floor units. In this research, the strength of beam plastic hinges was assessed through experimental and analytical studies. A three-dimensional, one-storey, two-bay reinforced concrete moment resisting frame with prestressed floor units and cast-in-situ concrete topping was tested under quasi-static displacement-controlled cyclic loading. The experimental results provided insight into the mechanics associated with frame-floor interaction. Subsequently, improved design specifications were proposed based on the observed behaviour. To analytically predict the beam-floor interaction, a ductile reinforced concrete plastic hinge multi-spring element was developed and validated with experimental results from cantilever beam and frame sub-assembly tests reported in the literature. The comparisons have demonstrated the ability of the proposed plastic hinge element to predict the flexural, shear, axial, and most importantly, elongation response of ductile plastic hinges. The proposed plastic hinge element was implemented into an analytical model to simulate the behaviour of the frame-floor sub-assembly tested in this research. Specially arranged truss-like elements were used to model the linking slab (the region connecting the main beam to the first prestressed floor unit), where significant inelastic behaviour was expected to occur. The analytical model was found to be capable of predicting the non-linear hysteretic response and the main deformation mechanisms in the frame-floor sub-assembly test. The analytical frame-floor model developed in this study was used to examine the effect of different structural arrangements on the cyclic behaviour of frames containing prestressed floor units. These analyses indicated that slab reinforcement content, the number of bays in a frame and the position of frame in a building (i.e., perimeter or internal frame) can have a significant influence on the strength and elongation response of plastic hinges.

I have an interest in creating furniture with a mechanism that makes the furniture move functionally. Therefore, this paper explains the process and outcomes of designing a chair and a set of furniture with a coatrack, an accent table, and a stackable stool. All the furniture packs flat for storage and shipping purpose with a folding mechanism. The folds happen with fabric hinges that have been experimented with different materials, machinery, and fundamentals.

The Deck truss portion of the I-35W Highway Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed on August 1, 2007 while roadwork was underway on the bridge. The entire truss was recovered from the river to study the causes of failure. The National Transportation Safety Board attributes the collapse to inadequate load carrying capacity of the steel gusset plates connecting the main truss members at four specific nodes. Permanent deformations of the members in proximity to these nodes were documented and a surveillance video camera recorded the collapse event in a major section of the structure. The inelastic behavior of the deck truss during the collapse event is studied in this research by performing nonlinear structural analysis on a simplified two-dimensional model. Nonlinear behavior is discretized at specific locations starting with buckling of the critical gusset plates and continuing with yielding in members where the internal forces increased at a higher rate during the post-buckling behavior. The analysis results show the sequence of failure events that lead to the formation of a collapse mechanism in the center span of the deck truss, which is the first to fall into the river. Comparison between the available evidence and the analysis results validate the conclusions drawn in this research. / Master of Science

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