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This thesis presents a theoretical study into the behaviour of thin-walled metal tubes that are filled with elastic material. The study has considered the behaviour and design of concrete-filled steel columns by analysing the effect of the combined actions of axial compression and bending on closed stainless steel cross-sections with a concrete infill as well as the elastic buckling of square, circular and elliptical thin-walled steel tubes, when filled with elastic material. The elastic local buckling of a rectangular plate having four edges clamped and subjected to in-plane linearly varying uniaxial loading with and without juxtaposition with a rigid infill has also been studied. Concrete-filled composite columns find widespread use globally in engineering structures because of their optimal strength and ease of construction. Enhancing the strength of filled columns by utilising newer materials such as stainless steel or shape memory alloys for the skin of the cross-section of the column will increase the construction cost of the column. In order to circumvent this increased construction cost, or to minimise it, the metal skin should be as thin as possible. Members with thin-walled cross-section are prone to lateral torsional buckling, and in particular they are prone to local buckling, with the latter buckling mode playing an important role in the strength of a composite column with a concrete infill. The local buckling coefficient is enhanced by the provision of a rigid concrete infill, and efficient design must make use of this fact to minimise the cost of the skin. The initial portions of this thesis demonstrate the beneficial effects that the rigid concrete core has on the overall strength, and also on the local buckling behaviour of thin-walled metal tubes. The local buckling of the metal skin has been modelled in this thesis by using a Ritz-based energy method. In bi-lateral and uni-lateral buckling studies of rectangular plates, a more general trigonometric function has been selected by application of boundary conditions to the chosen shape function, with these boundary conditions being implemented to make the chosen shape function satisfy the edge conditions for the problem under consideration. The restraining medium is modelled as a tensionless foundation and this restraint condition is introduced through a penalty method formulation. Extensive comparative, convergence, and parametric studies have been carried out by considering a wide range of uni-laterally constrained plates. Following a concise review of the available literature, techniques for analysing the elastic local buckling of thin-walled square tubes, fully filled with elastic materials and subjected to concentric uni-axial compression, are formulated by means of a simple stiffness approach and a proper Ritz-based technique. This method is then extended to account for the local buckling of thin-walled circular and elliptical cylinders with elastic infill. By representation of a proper trigonometric displacement function in the formulation which is capable of incorporating the effects of the penetration zone in a harmonic form, in addition to satisfying all the necessary boundary conditions, it is shown that the buckling solution reduces to a dimensionless representation for which the relevant geometrical and material properties that govern the local buckling coefficient can be identified. It was found that the provision of lightweight and low density infill is functional and attractive with respect to an increase in the efficacy of the restraint. A comparison was made, and good agreement was found to exist, between the results obtained from this study and results that are available in the literature. Finally, a strength to weight index is introduced that quantifies the enhancement in the local buckling coefficient for a number of materials with a wide range of stiffness and density. This index has potential applications for optimal design in aerospace and other specialized engineering applications.

This thesis discusses the development of a new type of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) beam for use in civil engineering systems. After a detailed evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of current FRP beam technology, a different approach is proposed which combines traditional laminates with a novel casting technique. To pre-dimension the beam, the classical beam theory is adapted to allow for FRP materials. The resulting formulae were used to determine critical parameters, such as laminate thickness and location in the cross-section, and core dimensions, and to identify failure modes. Based on the results of this analytical study, a detailed testing program was developed. In addition to classical tests, such as bending, shear, and lateral torsion, the performance of the beam was also examined under particular loading regimes specifically designed to induce local failure modes, such as buckling of the web and bearing failure of the section under concentrated loads. The experimental results revealed very good agreement with the analytical predictions. These results were corroborated by a detailed non-linear finite-element analysis, including core cracking and laminate damage. This analysis, in particular, highlighted the synergy between bending and shear behaviour of the beam. This study has revealed that this new type of FRP beam behaves in a predictable manner. Furthermore, the experimental results verified that the cross-section, which combines traditional laminates with cast polymer concrete, did not suffer from many of the disadvantages identified in current FRP beams. The cracking of the polymer concrete under shear, however, does cause the beam to fail prior to the laminates reaching their ultimate shear stress.

Project report (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (47-48). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1955. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-37). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [165]-173).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-172). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.