This paper focuses on illustrating the effectiveness of the new material model, 𝜏𝐵𝑇𝑅 in comparison with the Specifications for Structural Steel Buildings (2016) material model, 𝜏𝐴𝐼𝑆𝐶 , against a detailed finite element model to determine the accuracy of modeling the inelastic behavior of steel W-Shapes. A total of seven steel columns were analyzed, using a W8x31 section, and eleven benchmark frames to compare the performance of the two material models. An ultimate strength study was conducted using the following slenderness ratios, L/r, of 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 160, and 200 and oriented such that minor-axis bending occurs. The benchmark frames were modeled under a limit load analysis to illustrate the magnitude of stiffness reduction considering both major and minor-axis bending. Lateral displacements were recorded and compared for the eleven frames up to the collapse condition. Additional information is provided discussing the capabilities of the two material models and their performance when compared to a detailed finite element model. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Cross frames are critical components in steel bridge systems. Cross frames brace girders against lateral torsional buckling and assist in distributing live loads to girders during the service life of the bridge. In curved bridges, cross frames also serve as primary structural members in resisting torsion generated by the traffic loads. The conventional cross frames are often constructed in X- or K- type shapes with steel angle sections. However, the actual stiffness of these cross frames are not well understood or quantified, leading to potentially inaccurate prediction of bridge behavior and safety during construction and in service. Previous studies have shown the possibility of employing new sections, such as tubular members and double angles, in cross frame designs. In addition, a type-Z cross frame, or single diagonal cross frame was also found to be a potential use to simplify the design. However, the effectiveness of these innovative cross frame types has not been completely examined. And these new cross frames have yet compared with the conventional ones in terms of their stiffness and strength capacity. This dissertation documents the results of a study on the stiffness of various types of cross frame systems. Full size cross frames were tested to establish actual stiffness of the cross frames specimens. The tests results revealed a significant discrepancy between the actual measured stiffness and the stiffness calculated using methods commonly employed by bridge designers. The research showed that the major source of this discrepancy was eccentricity in the connection. The stiffness reduction was quantified by employing analytical derivation and finite element modeling. As a result, methods were developed to account for the stiffness reduction. / text

Subsurface volume loss takes place in many geotechnical situations, and it is inherently accompanied by complex stress and displacement fields that may influence the performance of engineered geosystems. This research is a deformation-centered analysis, it depends on soil compressibility and it is implemented using finite elements. Soil stiffness plays a central role in predicting ground deformation. First, an enhanced Terzaghi’s soil compressibility model is proposed to satisfy asymptotic conditions at low and high stress levels with a small number of physically meaningful parameters. Then, the difference between small and large strain stiffness is explored using published small and large-strain stress-strain data. Typically, emphasis is placed on the laboratory-measured stiffness or compressibility; however, there are pronounced differences between laboratory measurements and field values, in part due to seating effects that prevail in small-thickness oedometer specimens. Many geosystems are subjected to repetitive loads; volumetric strains induced by drained repetitive ko-loads are experimentally investigated to identify shakedown and associated terminal density. The finite element numerical simulation environment is used to explore the effect of localized subsurface mass loss on free-surface deformation and shallow foundations settlement and bearing capacity. A stress relaxation module is developed to reproduce the change in stress associated to dissolution features and soft zone formation. The comprehensive parametric study is summarized in terms of dimensionless ratios that can be readily used for engineering applications. Field settlement data gathered at the Savannah River Site SRS are back-analyzed to compare measured values with predictions based on in situ shear wave velocity and strain-dependent stiffness reduction. The calibrated model is used to estimate additional settlements due to the pre-existing cavities, new cavities, and potential seismic events during the design life of the facility.

In vibration-based damage detection in structures, often changes in the dynamic properties such as natural frequencies, modeshapes, and derivatives of modeshapes are used to identify the damaged elements. If only a partial list of natural frequencies is known, optimization methods may need to be used to identify the damage. In this research, the algorithm proposed by Podlevskyi & Yaroshko (2013) is used to determine the stiffness distribution in shear building models. The lateral load resisting elements are presented as a single equivalent spring, and masses are lumped at floor levels. The proposed method calculates stiffness values directly, i.e., without optimization, from the known partial list of natural frequency data and mass distribution. It is shown that if the number of stories with reduced stiffness is smaller than the number of known natural frequencies, the stories with reduced stiffnesses can be identified. Numerical studies on building models with two stories and four stories are used to illustrate the solution method. Effect of error or noise in given natural frequencies on stiffness estimates and, conversely, sensitivity of natural frequencies to changes in stiffness are studied using 7-, 15-, 30-, and 50-story numerical models. From the studies, it is learnt that as the number of stories increases, the natural frequencies become less sensitive to stiffness changes. Additionally, eight laboratory experiments were conducted on a five-story aluminum structural model. Ten slender columns were used in each story of the specimen. Damage was simulated by removing columns in one, two, or three stories. The method can locate and quantify the damage in cases presented in the experimental studies. It is also applied to a 1/3 scaled 18-story steel moment frame building tested on an earthquake simulator (Suita et al., 2015) to identify the reduction in the stiffness due to fractures of beam flanges. Only the first two natural frequencies are used to determine the reductions in the stiffness since the third mode of the tower is torsional and no reasonable planar spring-mass model can be developed to present all of the translational modes. The method produced possible cases of the softening when the damage was assumed to occur at a single story.

[pt] O presente trabalho visa dar complemento à ferramenta gráfica interativa previamente criada com a finalidade de modelar e dimensionar vigas e pilares em concreto armado, inserindo no dimensionamento a não linearidade física. A ferramenta existente tem como base o programa FTOOL, que de maneira didática permite modelar e realiza análise estrutural em duas dimensões, resultando em deslocamentos, reações e esforços internos. Com base nos esforços e dados iniciais da estrutura tais como materiais, seções e cobrimento, a nova ferramenta altera a rigidez das seções para que se considere os efeitos de fissuração e fluência do concreto, além da relação não linear entre tensão e deformação. É necessário inserir uma análise da rigidez das seções, que após a fissuração da peça, na transição do Estádio I para o Estádio II, têm sua rigidez reduzida, cálculo este feito pela rigidez secante obtida pelos diagramas momento-curvatura. Desta forma, é necessário reavaliar a rigidez das diversas seções de maneira iterativa, fazendo-se a redistribuição de esforços de acordo com a variação das rijezas nas seções dos elementos estruturais. Propõe-se a comparação entre a recomendação da NBR 6118:2014, item 15.7.3, para consideração aproximada da não linearidade física e a rigidez secante obtida pelas relações momento-curvatura, tanto para os pilares como para as vigas. Para isso são estudados três exemplos de estruturas onde compara-se os resultados obtidos para os esforços internos, armadura e deslocamento. / [en] The present work aims to complement the graphic-interactive tool previously created for modeling and designing reinforced concrete beams and columns, introducing the material nonlinearity in the design. The existant tool is based on the FTOOL program, which didactically allows to model and performs structural analysis in two dimensions, resulting in deflections, reactions ans internal forces. Based on the forces and initial data of the structure such as materials, cross sections and concrete covering, the new tool changes the cross sections stiffnesses to consider the effects of concrete cracking and creep, besides the nonlinear relationships between tensions and deformations. It is necessary to introduce an analysis of the section stiffnesses, which after cracking, in the transition between stages I and II, presents a reduction in its stiffiness, that is evaluated by the secant stiffness from the moment-curvature diagrams. Thus, it is necessary to reevaluate the stiffness of the several sections iteratively, performing the redistribuition of the forces according to the vaiation of stiffness on the structural elements. It is proposed the comparison between the recommendation of NBR 6118 (ABNT, 2014), in its topic 15.7.3, for the approximate consideration of material nonlinearity and the secant stiffness obtained by the moment-curvature relationships, both for columns and beams. So three examples of structures are studied, in which the results obtained for internal forces, reinforcement and displacement are compared.