Phillips, Adam

Computational Simulation of Ultra-Low Cycle Fatigue Fracture of Ring Shaped - Steel Plate Shear Walls

Abstract eng:
Steel structures are a popular solution in earthquake-prone areas, due to their capability for ductile inelastic response under extreme events. The failure and collapse of such structures are typically triggered by steel fracture caused by ultra low-cycle fatigue (ULCF). Analysis methods which can accurately describe the damage accumulation in the material, and the subsequent fracture initiation and propagation are indispensable for the reliable determination of the safety of steel structures. Although a variety of analytical approaches, with varying levels of complexity, have been formulated for describing ULCF in steel components, the finite element method constitutes the most efficient approach. This paper uses nonlinear finite element models to analytically simulate the response of steel structures. The models are created in commercial finite element programs with constitutive laws which can account for the nonlinear kinematic hardening, the damage accumulation and for the material failure due to ULCF. The fracture propagation is inherently captured in the analytical models, by means of element removal techniques, using a novel, Ring-Shaped Steel Plate Shear Wall (RS-SPSW) concept. RS-SPSWs are a new type of steel plate shear wall that prevent buckling by cutting a pattern of rings connected by diagonal links into a steel plate. The unique ring mechanism delays buckling which leads to improved cyclic energy dissipation and stiffness. The largescale experiments were 3 meters by 2.6 meters and were subjected to a pseudo-static cyclic loading protocol. The RS-SPSW specimens displayed ductile behavior before developing fractures due to ULCF. Due to the redundant nature of the RS-SPSW system, multiple fractures occurred through the rings before the peak load carrying capacity of the infill panel was significantly reduced. Due to the large number of fractures, these experiments provide a unique opportunity to validate analytical tools as opposed to experiments dominated by one fracture.

Contributors:

Koutromanos, Ioannis

Conference Title:

Proceedings of the 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering

Conference Title:

16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering

Conference Venue:

Santiago (CL)

Conference Dates:

2017-01-09 / 2017-01-13

Rights:

Text je chráněný podle autorského zákona č. 121/2000 Sb.