Master of Engineering (Research) / This report investigates the down-aisle buckling load capacity of steel storage rack uprights. The effects of discrete torsional restraints provided by the frame bracing in the cross-aisle direction is considered in this report. Since current theoretical methods used to predict the buckling capacity of rack uprights appear to be over-conservative and complex, this research may provide engineers an alternative method of design using detailed finite element analysis. In this study, the results from experimental testing of upright frames with K-bracing are compared to finite element predictions of displacements and maximum axial loads. The finite element analysis is then used to determine the buckling loads on braced and un-braced uprights of various lengths. The upright capacities can then be compared with standard design methods which generally do not accurately take into account the torsional resistance that the cross-aisle frame bracing provides to the upright. The information contained in this report would be beneficial to engineers or manufacturers who are involved in the design of rack uprights or other discretely braced complex light gauge steel members subject to axial loads.

Master of Engineering (Research) / This report investigates the down-aisle buckling load capacity of steel storage rack uprights. The effects of discrete torsional restraints provided by the frame bracing in the cross-aisle direction is considered in this report. Since current theoretical methods used to predict the buckling capacity of rack uprights appear to be over-conservative and complex, this research may provide engineers an alternative method of design using detailed finite element analysis. In this study, the results from experimental testing of upright frames with K-bracing are compared to finite element predictions of displacements and maximum axial loads. The finite element analysis is then used to determine the buckling loads on braced and un-braced uprights of various lengths. The upright capacities can then be compared with standard design methods which generally do not accurately take into account the torsional resistance that the cross-aisle frame bracing provides to the upright. The information contained in this report would be beneficial to engineers or manufacturers who are involved in the design of rack uprights or other discretely braced complex light gauge steel members subject to axial loads.

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Most thin-walled metallic structural members experience some extent of interactive buckling that corrodes the load carrying capacity. Current design methods predict the strength of thin-walled metallic structural members based on individual buckling limit-states and limited case of interactive buckling limit state. In order to develop design methods for most coupled buckling limit states, the interaction of buckling modes needs to be studied. This dissertation first introduces a generally applicable methodology for Generalized Beam Theory (GBT) elastic buckling analysis on members with holes, where the buckling modes of gross cross-section interact with those of net cross-section. The approach treats member with holes as a structural system consisting of prismatic sub-members. These sub-members are connected by enforcing nodal compatibility conditions for the GBT discretization points at the interfaces. To represent the shear lag effect and nonlinear normal stress distribution in the vicinity of a hole, GBT shear modes with nonlinear warping are included. Modifications are made to the GBT geometric stiffness because of the influence from shear lag effect caused by holes. In the following sections, the GBT formulation for a prismatic bar is reviewed and the GBT formulation for members with holes is introduced. Special aspects of analyzing members with holes are defined, namely the compatibility conditions to connect sub-members and the geometric stiffness for members with holes. Validation and three examples are provided. The second topic of this dissertation involves a buckling mode decomposition method of normalized displacement field, bending stresses and strain energy for thin-walled member displacement field (point clouds or finite element results) based on generalized beam theory (GBT). The method provides quantitative modal participation information regarding eigen-buckling displacement fields, stress components and elastic strain energy, that can be used to inform future design approaches. In the method, GBT modal amplitudes are retrieved at discrete cross-sections, and the modal amplitude field is reconstructed assuming it can be piece-wisely approximated by polynomials. The unit displacement field, stress components and strain energy are all retrieved by using reconstructed GBT modal amplitude field and GBT constitutive laws. Theory and examples are provided, and potential applications are discussed including cold-formed steel member design and post-disaster evaluation of thin-walled structural members. In the third part, post-buckling modal decomposition is made possible by development of a geometrically nonlinear GBT software. This tool can be used to assist understanding couple-buckling limit-states. Lastly, the load-deformation response considering any one GBT mode is derived analytically for fast computation and interpretation of structural post-buckling behavior. / Ph. D.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l'étude de l'influence des micro-perforations sur la réponse vibratoire d'une structure cellulaire de type panneau sandwich NIDA (nid d'abeille). Les réflecteurs d'antenne de satellites placés sur les satellites de télécommunication, comme beaucoup d'autres éléments, sont fabriqués avec ce type de matériaux. Lors du décollage du lanceur pour la mise en orbite du satellite, les sollicitations mécaniques appliquées au système sont de nature acoustique et solidienne. La sollicitation acoustique liée au champ acoustique diffus et de très fort niveau présent dans la coiffe du lanceur est la plus importante. Elle joue un rôle important dans le dimensionnement et la conception du réflecteur d'antenne. L'enjeu de la thèse est d'évaluer le potentiel d'un traitement de ce panneau par micro-perforations pour en réduire les vibrations. L'effet des micro-perforations sur la réponse vibratoire du réflecteur d'antenne est double. D'une part, le chargement acoustique que constitue la pression excitatrice est réduit par un mécanisme d'absorption du à la présence des micro-perforations, couplées aux cavités formées par les cellules NIDA du matériau. Cet effet, connu dans la littérature est décrit notamment par le modèle d'impédance acoustique de D.-Y. Maa, couplé à un modèle d'impédance de la cavité NIDA et prenant en compte les rayonnements interne et externe à la micro-perforation. D'autre part, un effet, de nature vibro-acoustique est induit par le couplage entre les vibrations du panneau et les mouvements acoustiques dans les micro-perforations. La modélisation de cet effet, mal décrit dans la littérature constitue un élément original du travail : un modèle discret construit à partir de l'impédance acoustique d'un orifice permet le calcul d'une force d'amortissement élémentaire, puis, après homogénéisation, à une estimation de l'amortissement modal du panneau micro-perforé. Les modélisations proposées pour la réduction de chargement acoustique et de l'amortissement ajouté par micro-perforation montrent que la réponse vibratoire du panneau est faiblement réduite dans la plage de fréquence d'intérêt, ce que confirment plusieurs tests expérimentaux : comparaison de réponse de panneau micro-perforé ou non en chambre réverbérante et en chambre à bruit. La modification de chargement acoustique apportée par la micro-perforation des deux faces du panneau sandwich NIDA est modélisée dans le dernier chapitre et donne lieu à une augmentation de l'effet dans la gamme de fréquence visée. / This thesis work is about the study of the microperforations influence on the vibratory response of a cellular structure as a honeycomb sandwich panel. Satellites' antenna's reflectors placed on telecommunication satellites, as many satellites' elements, are manufactured in this kind of materials. During the launcher take-off for putting satellite into orbit, the mechanical stresses applied to the system are acoustical and vibration borne stress. The acoustic stress, linked to the high level diffuse acoustic field inside the launcher fairing is the most important. It plays a part in the antenna's reflector size and conception. The issue of the thesis is to evaluate the potential of a treatment using microperforations on this panel in order to reduce its vibration. The microperforations effect on the vibration response of the antenna's reflector is double. On one hand, the acoustic loading applied by the exciter pressure is reduced by an absorption mechanism due to the presence of microperforations, coupled to cavities formed by honeycomb cells. This effect, well known in the litterature, is for instance described by the acoustic impedance model developped by D.-Y. Maa, coupled to an impedance model of honeycomb cavity and taking into account the inner and outer radiations of the microperforation. On the other hand, a vibro-acoustical effect is induced by the coupling between panel vibrations and acoustic movements inside microperforations. The modelling of this effect, not well described in the litterature, constitutes an original element of the thesis work: a discrete model constructed using the acoustic impedance of an orifice, allows the computation of an elementary damping force and then leads, after an homogenisation, to an estimation of the modal damping of the microperforated panel. Both modellings proposed for the acoustic loading reduction and the damping added by microperforations, show that the panel vibration response is weakly reduced in the frequency band of interest, which confirms experimental tests like: response comparison of non microperforated and microperforated panels placed in reverberant room and noise chamber. The acoustic loading modification induced by the microperforation of both sides of the honeycomb sandwich panel is modelling in the thesis last chapter and allows an increase of the effect on the frequency band aimed.