NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE BEARING CAPACITY AND MODES OF BUCKLING FAILURE OF A METAL SCAFFOLDING UNIT SUBJECTED TO VERTICAL COMPRESSION

Abstract eng:
This paper presents results from an experimental and numerical investigation that was initiated from the failure of a complex scaffolding 3-D frame that was used at the construction site of a highway bridge overpass in Greece. This 3-D complex scaffolding frame was erected utilizing typical scaffolding units used by the construction industry in Greece made of steel tubular cross-sections. The tested scaffolding unit specimens were the same as the commercial units that were used in the failed 3-D scaffolding structure. A typical scaffolding unit consists of two towers 2.5 m high and 1.2 m wide, joined together by diagonal bracing. Two such prototype scaffolding units were tested by subjecting them to gradually increased compressive load up to failure. The tested specimens were were loaded vertically in compression. A special fixture was introduced at the top level so as to introduce a relatively flexible horizontal restraint to the tested scaffolding unit at this level and to ensure the vertical application of the load. Moreover, an effort was made to partly investigate the influence of the support conditions of the tested scaffolding units at the laboratory in order to examine the effect of such an influence on the response of the 3-D complex scaffolding structure in-situ. Finally, results from a non-linear inelastic numerical analysis, aimed to predict the behavior of the tested scaffolding units, are also presented. The obtained measured response is presented and discussed in terms of measured load-deformation response curves and observed modes of buckling failure. It can be seen from these results that realistic modes of failure were obtained by the adopted testing arrangement. Moreover, by comparing the obtained during testing bearing capacity and modes of failure with the corresponding results obtained from the non-linear inelastic numerical analysis reasonably good agreement could be reached. This supports the validity of the utilized numerical simulation.

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